Skip to main content

Full text of "Rambles in the parishes of Scoonie and Wemyss"

See other formats


RAMBLES 

IN   THE   PARISHES   OF 

SCOONIE  #>  WEMYSS 


On  the  Leven  in   1870. 


AND.    S.    CUNNINGHAM, 

AUTHOR   OF    "INVF.RKEITHING    AND    THE    NAVAL    BASE, 

"  ROMANTIC   CULROSS," 
"  BURGH    LIFE   IN   THE   OLDEN    TIME,    &C." 


LEVEN  : 

PURVES    &   CUNNINGHAM, 
"LEVEN  ADVERTISER  AND  WEMYSS  GAZETTE"  OFFICE. 


PA 


Scr 


PREFACE. 


SITTING  in  the  autumn  of  1904  on  the  knoll  which  for 
centuries  was  the  churchyard  of  the  Parish  of  Scoonie, 
but  which  is  to-day  spoken  of  as  "The  Cemetery,"  a  friend 
whispered  in  my  ear  that  I  might  do  for  Scoonie  and 
Wemyss  what  I  had  done  for  Inverkeithing  and  Culross. 
I  then  came  under  promise  to  try.  I  have  tried,  and  this 
little  book  is  the  result. 

I  desire  specially  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to 
the  "  Memorials  of  the  Family  of  Wemyss  of  Wemyss," 
by  Sir  William  Fraser;  to  Mr  B.  G.  E,  Wemyss  of  Wemyss 
Castle,  for  the  facilities  which  he  gave  me  to  consult  old 
documents;  to  the  Rev.  A.  T.  Grant,  Chaplain  of  St  Mary, 
Star  of  the  Sea,  for  the  light  he  cast  on  seeming  difficul- 
ties; and  to  Mr  W.  Dalrymple,  Leven,  for  the  help  he 
gave  me  in  tracing  the  history  of  the  different  Golf  Clubs 
passed  under  review  in  the  book. 

AND.  S.  CUNNINGHAM. 
LEVEN,  November  1905. 


CONTENTS, 


THE  PARISH  OF  SCOONIE. 

PAGE 

Baptist  Church 54 

Burgh  of  Leven       ....                 ....  31-38 

Banks  and  other  Buildings 56 

Census  Returns 2 

Chief  Magistrates 39 

Customs  of  Other  Days  - 86 

Education  in  the  Parish 113 

Porman  U.F.  Church 48 

Fife  Coal  Company's  Works  -                 122 

Greig  Institute       -                 54 

Gas  Company          .........85 

Golf  Links  and  Clubs 95 

Harbour  of  Leven 32 

House  of  Durie        ...                 18 

Industries,  Old  and  New,  of  Burgh  and  District  60 

Leven,  The  River  -                                                                    -  57-75 

Montrave 116 

Origin  of  the  Name  of  Scoonie 1 

Parish  Council 82 

Stage  Coach  and  Railway 83 

Scoonie  Kirk,  from  Earliest  Times  to  Present  Day         -         -  3-25 

Scoonie  Burial  Places 91 

St  John's  U.F.  Church 45 

S.  Margaret's  Episcopal  Church 51 

Situation  of  Leven           -     ' 84 

Stone,  Jerome 87 

Valuation  of  Burgh  and  Parish 81 

THE  PARISH  OF  WEMYSS. 

Burgh  of  Buckhaven,  Methil,  and  Innerleven        -        •        -  128 

Buckhaven,  Town,  of              -         -         -         -         -        -  173 

,,            Original  Inhabitants  of 175 

,,             Fishing  Industry  of 179 

,,            Net  Manufacturing  and  other  Works          -        -  188 

Harbour  of 183 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Caves  of  Wemyss :        -        -  189 

Census  and  Valuation  Returns 126 

Ecclesiastical  History 190 

Educational  History 244 

Innerleven  and  Dubbieside 129 

„          History  of  Church        ....  134 

Kirkland  Village    -                                                                      -  165 

Macduff  Castle                                                             -        -        -  202 

Methil  as  a  Shipping  Port      ...                                   .  141 

,,      as  a  Burgh  of  Barony 143 

„      Dock  of  To-day 149 

,,      First  Harbour  of                                                              -  142 

„      Coal  Working  at         -        -                 -        -         -        -  144 

„      Saltpans -                          -  156 

,,      Churches 161 

Methilhill 163 

Muiredge  Collieries         ....                                   .  154 

Net  Manufacturing 188 

Wemyss  Castle -        -        -        -  203 

,,      Family      ...                                            -  264 

,,       East,  Village  of        -        -  211 

,,       West,  Village  of 233 

,,      Colliery 251 

,,       Tramways 283 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Scoonie  Kirk  of  1775       -                          -----  17 

Scoonie  Kirk  of  To-day L>;j 

Durie  House -        -        -  18 

Leven  Harbour  of  1855  -                 35 

Mr  Andrew  Wilkie                                            ....  39 

Mr  C.  Adamson      -                          40 

Leven  Cross    -                                   41 

Leven  St  John's  U.F.  Church                 44 

Leven  Forman  U.F.  Church  -                 -         .         -         .         .  49 

S.  Margaret's  Episcopalian  Church 52 

Durie  Foundry                                                             -         -         -  66 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Leven  Oil  Mills 68 

Dossie  Bay '---68 

Wemyss  Sawmills  -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -  71 

Millfield  Paper  Works    -------  72 

Hawkslaw  Spinning  Mills       -------  78 

The  Scoonie  Stone           --------  92 

Innerleven  and  Thistle  Golf  Clubs          -----  97 

Mr  John  Adamson          -        -        - 100 

Mr  W.  Shepherd 101 

Mr  J.  0.  Shepherd 103 

Mr  John  Ireland     -                           105 

Leven  Ladies'  Golf  Club         -        ...                          -  108 

Lundin  Golf  Club  House Ill 

Bird's-Eye  View  of  Leven       -         - 114 

Leven  High  Street  -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -114 

Ex-Provost  White  116 

Sir  John  Gilmour 118 

Montrave  House    -        -        -        -        -  -        -        -119 

Mr  C.  Carlow  124 

Seal  of  Burgh  of  Buckhaven   -------  128 

Innerleven       ----------  130 

Methil  from  Bayview 143 

MethilDock 148 

----- 153 

Buckhaven 174 

Mr  Archibald  Bowman  -        - 185 

Denbeath  Washer 187 

Court  Cave,  East  Wemyss 201 

Macduff  Castle        ....                                            -  203 

Wemyss  Castle                -  209 

East  Wemyss  Established  Church  213 

West  Wemyss 235 

Earlseat  Mines        -        -  255 

Mr  R.  G.  E.  Wemyss     -                                            -         -        -  281 

Wemyss  Tramway  Route      .        -         -         -  285 


TO 

R.    G.    E.    WEMYSS,    ESQ. 

OF    WEMYSS    AND    TORRIE, 
AND    HIS    WIFE, 

LADY   EVA  WEMYSS, 

THIS   BOOK    IS 
RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED. 


bgam 
visitor 


The  Parish  of  Scoonie. 

QCOONIE  is  one  of  the  smallest  parishes  in  Scotland. 
^  Its  extreme  length  does  riot  extend  four  and  three- 
quarter  miles,  and  it  does  not  measure  more  than  two 
and  three-quarter  miles  in  breadth  at  any  point.  On  the 
west  it  is  separated  from  the  parish  of  Wemyss  by  the 
river  Leven.  Kennoway,  Kettle,  and  Cults  bound  it  on 
the  north,  and  Largo  on  the  east,  and  at  the  north-east 
extremity,  as  it  is  neatly  put  in  an  old  document,  the 
"three  parishes  of  Scoouie,  Largo,  and  Ceres,  and  the 
Presbyteries  of  Kirkcaldy,  St  Andrews,  and  Cupar,  meet 
in  one  point."  The  now  famous  Scoonie  burn,  which  makes 
the  home  green  on  the  Leven  Golf  Course  the  most  sport- 
ing on  the  links,  takes  its  rise  in  Kennoway,  and  falls  into 
the  Forth  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  town  of  Leven ;  while 
the  river  Leven  on  the  west  throws  more  water  into  the 
sea  than  any  other  river  in  the  "  Kingdom."  The  coast 
is  flat  and  sandy,  but  amidst  swelling  knolls  and  scooped 
out  hollows  the  surface  soon  rises,  and  at  Kilmux,  which 
is  situated  at  the  northern  fringe  of  the  parish,  an  altitude 
of  six  hundred  feet  is  reached.  The  parish  contains-about 
4286  acres. 

The    name    Scoonie  is   derived  from  the  Gaelic  word 
or  fikoen,   which  signifies  a  rent  or  ravine,  and  if 
visitors  to  the  district  will  only  take  the  time  to  go  to  the 


2  RAMBLES   IN   SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

"  Siller  Hole "  and  follow  the  course  of  the  Scoonie- 
Aitheruie  burn  for  a  short  distance,  they  will  not  fail  to 
arrive  at  the  conclusion  that  the  name  is  an  exceedingly 
appropriate  one.  The  population  returns  made  to  Dr 
Webster  in  1755  brought  out  a  total  of  1528  souls,  and 
in  1791  the  total  was  1675,  an  increase  of  147  in  thirty- 
eight  years.' 

Here  is  a  table  giving  the  Government  census  of  the 
Parish  from  the  earliest  possible  date  to  1901  : — 

1801  -     -     -  1681  1861  -     -     -  3257 

1811  -          -  1726  1871  -     -  3178 

1821  •  2024  1881  -  3730 

1831  •  2566  1891  -  4693 

1841  -  2836  1901  -     -  6342 

1851  -  3115 

Perhaps  the  most  noteworthy  feature  of  these  returns  is 
the  fact  that  all  through  they  show  a  steady  increase. 
An  increase  every  decade  is  all  the  more  remarkable  when 
it  is  kept  in  mind  that  since  1801  Scoonie,  like  many 
other  small  parishes  in  Scotland,  has  again  and  again  ex- 
perienced an  almost  complete  collapse  of  its  chief  industries, 
and  the  people  have  had  to  adapt  themselves  to  an  ever- 
changing  order  of  things.  Away  back  in  the  distant  past 
the  fish  of  the  river  Leven  were  a  source  of  considerable 
wealth  to  the  community,  and  the  port  of  Leven  owned  a 
little  fleet  of  vessels.  The  click  of  the  weaver's  shuttle 
was  at  one  time  heard  at  every  turn  in  the  town,  and  by 
the  river  side  the  perpetual  splash  of  bleaching  machinery 
was  heard.  The  trout  and  salmon  have  been  chased  from 
the  Leven;  the  "Maggie "and  "Janet"  no  longer  enter 
Leven  mouth  and  the  "  safe  harbour "  of  other  days ;  the 
rattle  of  the  beam  of  the  handloom  is  no  longer  heard,  and 
the  pictures  of  snow-white  yarns  on  the  bleaching  greens 
are  only  a  dream  and  a  memory. 


THE    PARISH    OP   SCOONIE.  3 

Bub  other  industries  have  arisen,  and  most  people  will 
be  inclined  to  think  that  it  is  well  they  have  arisen.  Mr 
Geddie,  in  his  charming  work,  "The  Fringes  of  Fife,1' 
says : — "  Happily  Leven  is  not  dependent  on  its  trade. 
It  has  a  mine  of  wealth  in  its  links  and  sands."  This  looks 
fine — on  paper.  Leven  is  proud  of  its  links,  but  it  cannot 
afford  to  ignore  its  industries. 

Early  History  of  Scoonie  Church. 

Historically  we  have  a  glimpse  of  the  Church  of  Scoonis 
long  before  we  find  any  mention  of  the  lands  or  the  families 
of  the  district.  It  [appears  from  the  "  Register  of  the 
Presbytery  of  St  Andrews"  that  Bishop  Tudal  or  Tuthal- 
dees,  who  flourished  in  the  first  half  of  the  tenth  century, 
made  a  grant  of  the  church  of  Sconyn  to  the  Culdees  of 
Loch  Leven.  The  grant  must  have  been  made  previous 
to  1050,  for  it  was  in  that  year  that  Tudal's  successor  was 
appointed.  How  long  the  church  existed  before  1050  it  is 
impossible  to  say.  The  Culdees  only  retained  possession  of 
the  church  of  Sconyn  for  about  a  century.  In  1152,  when 
the  Culdees  had  fallen  from  their  high  estate,  Robert,  Bishop 
of  St  Andrews,  handed  over  the  Monastery  of  Loch  Leven 
and  "its  possessions"  to  the  Priory  of  St  Andrews.  The 
church  of  Sconyn  was  one  of  the  "possessions."  In 
Robert's  charter  Scoonie  is  mentioned  as  the  "ecclesi- 
astical village  of  Scouni."  Dr  Hay  Fleming  ventures  the 
opinion  that  in  1152  the  "village"  must  have  consisted  of 
a  church  and  a  manse  and  a  few  houses,  and  the  chances 
are  that  he  is  right.  Some  time  after  the  transference  a 
payment  was  appointed  to  be  made  out  of  the  revenue  of 
the  church  of  Scoonie  towards  the  building  or  the  repair- 
ing of  the  church  of  St  Andrews.  It  may  be  interesting 
to  state  that  Duncan,  Earl  of  Fife,  seems  to  have  been  a 


4  RAMBLES    IX    SCOOXIE    AXD    WEYMSS. 

party  to  the  handing  over  of  the  church  by  Bishop  Robert. 
Some  time  before  1200  he  granted  a  charter  to  the  Priory 
of  St  Andrews,  to  which  he  gave  the  "church  of  Scouni, 
and  the  lands  belonging  to  the  same  church,  with  tythes 
and  oblations,  and  with  all  rights  and  benefits  of  all  kinds 
belonging  to  the  said  church."  In  1  243,  when  Alexander 
III.  was  King  of  Scotland,  the  church  was  dedicated 
to  St  Memme  by  Bishop  Bernham.  In  the  old  taxation 
roll  it  is  entered  as  33  inerks.  The  Rev.  A.  M.  Grant, 
who  made  a  special  study  of  the  history  of  the  parish  while 
resident  in  Leven,  computes  that  there  must  have  been  as 
many  as  twenty  to  twenty -five  vicars  in  Scoonie  between 
1100  and  the  Reformation  of  15(30,  and  of  the  number  the 
name  of  only  one  solitary  vicar  can  be  traced — namely, 
that  of  Andrew  Sibbald.  In  these  early  times  the  churches 
paid  taxes  to  the  Crown  and  the  Pope  of  Rome,  and  the 
following  comparative  statement  shows  the  relative  value 
of  Scoonie  as  compared  with  other  churches  in  the 
district :  — 


Newburn 
Kilconquhar 
Kennoway  - 

26 
100 
30 
4.x 

" 

Methil 

5 

" 

Wemyss 
Dysart 
Kirkcaldy    - 

12 
20 
24 

" 

After  the  Reformation. 

When  the  Reformation  of  1560  came,  the  monks  were 
driven  from  the  monasteries  and  the  vicars  from  the 
manses,  and  a  new  order  of  things  introduced.  Few  of 
the  people  could  read,  and  to  this  there  fell  to  be  added 
the  fact  thai  the  apostles  of  the  new  faith  found  it  difficult 


TltE    PARISH    OF    SCOONIE.  O 

to  get  men  who  were  able  to  take  the  pulpits  of  the  different 
parishes.  In  the  hope  of  meeting  the  situation  as  far  as 
possible,  the  Scottish  Reformers  appointed  a  temporary 
kind  of  office-bearers,  called  Readers,  to  read  the  Common 
Prayers  and  the  Scriptures  in  the  churches.  Readers 
who  had  made  such  progress  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
Scriptures  as  to  be  able  to  exhort  the  people  were  known 
by  the  name  of  Exhorters.  No  young  man  could  become 
a  reader  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  years. 
Although  the  choice  was  much  restricted,  every  possible 
care  was  taken  to  keep  flippant  individuals  from  the  ranks 
of  the  readers,  and  mediocrity  was  got  rid  of  by  the  con- 
ditions attached  to  the  post.  It  was  necessary  that  the 
reader  should  be  "  endued  with  gravity  and  discretion," 
lest  by  his  lightness  the  prayers  or  Scriptures  read  should 
be  of  "  lesse  price  or  estimation."  If  after  holding  the 
office  for  two  years  the  reader  had  not  advanced  to  the 
position  of  one  who  could  exhort  and  explain  the  Scrip- 
tures, he  was  removed  from  his  office  on  the  plea  that 
men  who  were  not,  in  a  reasonable  time,  "  able  to  edify 
the  Kirk"  should  not  be  "perpetually  sustained  upon  the 
charge  of  the  Kirk."  John  Knox  founded  the  parish 
schools  of  Scotland,  where  the  young  were  taught  to  read, 
and  if  any  boy  showed  a  special  aptitude  for  learning  he 
was  trained  for  the  ministry.  The  principle  was  enforced 
its  connection  with  the  early  teachers  and  preachers  in  the 
Reformed  Church.  The  aim  was  to  supply  the  churches 
with  good  readers,  who  should  be  gradually  advanced  to 
the  position  of  exhorters,  and  from  that  of  exhorters  to 
the  more  advanced  platform  of  ministers.  Ministers  were 
placed  in  charge  of  several  churches,  but  they  had  the 
assistance  of  readers  and  exhorters. 


6  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

The  First  Protestant  flinister. 

In  the  stirring  times  which  followed  the  Reformation, 
I  find  that  the  churches  of  Scoonie  and  Kennoway  were 
grouped  under  one  minister,  the  Rev.  John  Symsoun,  who, 
up  to  the  date  of  his  being  called  to  the  ministry  (1566), 
had  been  schoolmaster  of  Kennoway.  As  a  minister  he 
was  located  in  the  parish  of  Scoonie,  and  so  faithfully  did 
he  perform  the  duties  of  his  dual  office  that  in  1574  he  was 
also  placed  in  charge  of  Mcthil  and  Markinch,  a  corre- 
sponding increase  being  made  to  his  stipend.  Symsoun 
had  under  him  readers  at  Kennoway,  Methil,  and  Mark- 
inch.  The  pastor  had  a  stipend  of  something  like  <£120, 
while  the  readers  drew  something  like  £13  6s  8d  annually. 
In  addition  to  the  stipends,  they  participated  in  the 
income  which  came  from  the  kirk  lands. 

Symsouu  was  succeeded  in  1580  by  Allan  Lamonth,  a 
native  of  St  Andrews,  who  was  presented  to  the  charge 
by  the  "  Scottish  Solomon,"  James  VI.  Lamonth's  two 
sons.  Thomiis  and  Walter,  followed,  and  then  came  Robert 
Cranstown,  who  was  translated  from  Lathrisk,  and  had 
the  honour  of  being  presented  by  Charles  I.  Cranstown's 
ministry  was  not  a  long  one — from  1632  to  1643 — but 
short  as  the  time  was  he  had  a  most  unfortunate  ex- 
perience. While  conducting  a  service  in  Scoonie  church 
in  1641  his  manse  caught  tire,  and  his  clothing  arid  the 
Session  records  were  destroyed.  Details  of  the  incident 
are  thus  described  in  an  old  record  : — "The  minister  had 
his  chamber  in  Durie  burnt  with  fyre,  which  fell  out  in 
his  chamber-chimley  in  time  of  sermon,  28th  Feb.  1641, 
to  his  great  losse  and  skaith  of  many  cloathes,  buiks,  and 
other  uair,  ;ind  among  the  rest  the  session  buik  was  in  his 
chamber."  Cranstown  fell  on  sleep  in  1643,  in  the  54th 
year  of  his  age. 


THE    PARISH    OP   SCOONIE.  7 

A  Famous  Covenanter. 

Cranstown  was  succeeded  by  Alex.  Moncrieff,  who  was 
a  strict  Presbyterian,  and  who,  protesting  against  Episco- 
pacy and  the  usurping  power  of  the  times,  became  a  leader 
among  the  Covenanters.  Moncrieff  was  an  A.M.  of  Edin- 
burgh. He  was  on  the  list  for  Kirkcaldy  in  1631,  but 
missed  the  prize  in  the  "Lang  Toun."  When  Robert 
Cranstoun  departed  this  life,  Moncrieff  was  one  of  the 
applicants  for  the  post,  and  he  had  the  honour  of  being 
presented  by  Charles  I.  in  June  1613,  and  in  September 
of  the  same  year  he  was  ordained  to  the  pastorate  of 
Scoonie.  The  year  of  Moncrieff  s  ordination  was  an  excit- 
ing year  in  the  history  of  the  churches  of  the  "  Kingdom." 
In  October  the  "  Solemn  League  and  Covenant "  was  sub- 
scribed at  Dunfermline,  and  the  ancient  city  gave  the  key 
note  to  the  other  Presbyterian  churches  in  Fife.  Before 
Moncrieff  had  been  many  weeks  in  Scoonie  he  showed  that 
his  leanings  were  entirely  with  the  Reformation  party. 
When  the  Church  became  broken  up  into  factions  he  took 
the  side  of  the  stricter  Presbyterians  or  Protesters,  and  as 
a  Protester  he  was  persecuted  almost  to  the  death.  Mon- 
crieff was  a  zealous  worker,  and  had  he  been  allowed  to 
toil  on  in  the  parish  under  the  flag  hoisted  by  John  Knox, 
he  would  have  won  golden  opinions  among  the  parishioners. 
Lament  in  his  Diary  gives  us  an  interesting  glimpse  at 
Scoonie  in  the  early  days  of  Moricrieff's  ministry.  Here 
are  two  extracts  : — 

"1650.  April  21.  The  communion  was  given  at  Sconie  in 
Fyfe.  Mr  Kenneth  Logie,  min.  of  Kirke  Kaldie,  did  preach  the 
preparation  sermon  ;  his  text  was  Zech.  13,  1.  Mr  Sa.  Ruther- 
foord,  min.  of  St  Androus,  did  preach  in  the  forcnone  in  Cant. 
5,  '2 ;  and  Mr  Alex.  Moncriefe,  min.  there,  did  preach  afternone 
in  Prov.  4,  23.  Mr  Sam.  had  a  lecture  on  the  Moneday  following 
on  the  20  c.  of  Mat.  Gospell.  At  this  tyme  both  Durie  and  his 


8  KAMBLUS    IN    SCOOXIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

lady  was  debarred  from  the  label  because  of  their  malignancic. 
Also  at  this  tyme  ther  was  no  collectione  fur  the  poore  at  the  tabel, 
as  was  ordinar ;  this  custom  was  discharged  \>y  the  last  Gener. 
Assemb.  holdin  An.  Do.  1649,  and  therefore  in  stead  of  this  ther 
was  a  collection  at  the  church  dore,  both  forenone  and  afternone." 

"  1651.  July  13.  The  foresaid  day  the  communion  was  given 
also  at  Scouie.  Mr  Alex.  Moncriefe.  min.  ther,  did  preach  the 
preparation  sermon.  His  text  was  Luc  1,  53 ;  and  on  the  Sabath 
in  the  afternone  his  text  was  Luc.  1,  79.  In  the  forenone  of  the 
Sabath  and  on  Moneday  morneing  Mr  Sa.  Rutherfoord  did  preach; 
his  text  att  both  occasions  was  Luc.  7,  36  till  39  v.  All  this  time 
in  Sconie  was  present,  beside  Mr  Sa.  Rutherfoord,  Mr  Jas.  Gutherie 
and  Mr  David  Bennet,  Mr  Ephraim  Melven,  and  Mr  Will.  Oliphant, 
m.  in  Dumfermling.  Hither  did  resort  many  strangers,  so  that  the 
thronge  was  great,  for  Mr  Ephraim  and  Mr  Da.  Benet  both  of  them 
did  sitt  within  the  pulpit  whille  the  minister  had  his  sermon,  Mr 
Ephraim  on  the  Sabath  and  Mr  David  on  the  Moneday." 

Here  is  a  notice  of  a  special  fast,  and  of  the  way  in  which 
it  was  observed  : — 

"1653.  August  11 — being  Thursday — ther  was  a  fast  keiped 
at  Sconie  kirke.  The  day  before — being  Wednesday — Mr  Alex. 
Moncriefe,  min.  ther,  did  preach;  his  text  Ps.  119,  49.  On  the 
morrow,  being  the  fast-day,  ther  was  thrie  sermons — two  in  the 
forenone  and  one  in  the  afternone.  Mr  Samuel  Rutherfoord, 
minister  att  St  Androus,  did  preach  in  the  morning  ;  his  lecture 
the  2  chap,  of  Jonah,  his  text  Revel.  3,  att  the  end  of  the  first 
verse.  In  the  forenone,  Mr  Alex.  Moncriefe;  his  text  Ps.  119, 
49-50.  The  one  came  doune  from  the  pulpit  and  the  other  went 
up,  in  the  tyme  that  the  psalme,  after  the  first  sermon,  was  singing, 
so  that  there  was  no  intromission  of  the  exercise,  nether  were  the 
peopell  dismissed  till  both  sermons  were  ended.  And  in  the  after- 
none M.  Samuell  did  preach  in  the  same  words — viz.,  Rev.  3,  1  ;  his 
lecture,  Ps.  130  and  Ps.  131 ;  he  did  read  and  expone  both." 

Ill  these  days  of  short  sermons,  we  are  afraid  that  the 
congregations  would  not  have  the  patience  to  wait  for  the 
one  coming  "doune"  from  the  pulpit,  and  the  other  going 
"  up,"  and  if  the  ministers  did  not  the  "people  dismiss" 
within  a  reasonable  time,  they  would  be  apt  either  to  dis- 


THE    PARISH    OF    SCOONIK.  9 

miss  or  absent  themselves  from  the  services.  In  May 
1654,  thanksgiving  services  were  held.  Mr  Moncrieff  had 
the  assistance  of  Rutherford,  and  services  were  conducted 
on  Saturday,  Sunday,  and  Monday.  What  happened  at 
the  fast  day  services  in  July  1655  shows  that  Moncrieff 's 
troubles  through  his  being  one  of  the  stricter  Presbyterians 
of  the  times  and  a  Protester  did  not  end  with  the  persecu- 
tions which  came  from  without.  Lamont  is  worth  quoting 
in  full  on  the  terrible  scene  which  took  place  in  Scoonie 
Church : — 

"July  22 — 1655.  This  fast  was  keiped  by  Mr  Alex.  Moncriefe 
att  Sconie  ;  his  text  on  Saturday,  Sunday,  all  clay,  and  Moneday 
morning  was  E  Sa.,  v.  1,  2,  3.  This  day  Mr  Alex.  Moncriefe  did 
chose  thrie  elders,  whereof  Mr  David  Pitcairne  was  one.  This  day, 
July  22nd  being  the  Sabbath,  was  a  great  contest  in  words  betuixt 
the  Lord  Durie  and  the  said  Mr  Alex.  Moncriefe  anent  the  chosing 
of  elders.  All  the  time  of  this  jangling,  which  was  before  the  chos- 
ing of  the  three  elders,  Mr  Alex,  was  in  the  pulpitt,  and  Durie  in  his 
own  seat.  James  Turpie,  Durie's  coall-griefe,  was  first  called  upon 
that  day  to  be  ane  elder  by  the  minister,  bot  he  altogither  refused, 
notwithstanding  that  Mr  Alex,  told  him  publicklie  from  the  pulpitt 
that  he  was  content  to  accept  the  night  before ;  the  minister  said 
to  him  that  this  could  be  nothing  else  bot  a  suggestion  of  Satan. 
Durie,  publicklie,  in  the  feace  of  the  congregation,  discharged 
any  that  lie  had  power  over,  or  in  his  grounde,  to  accept  to 
be  ane  elder  (bot  to  heare  the  word  reverentlie,  and  no  more). 
Amonge  other  expressions  that  Mr  Alex,  spake  to  Durie  one  was 
that  he  called  him  an  opposer  and  persecutor  of  the  Church  of 
Scotland.  (Observe  that  this  was  so  sharpe  and  bitter  a 
contest  betuixt  Durie  and  the  minister  that  the  hearers  affirmed 
that  the  like  had  never  beine  in  that  place).  Moreover,  Durie 
desyred  the  minister  to  hold  his  peace,  and  the  minister  desyred 
Durie  to  hold  his  peace  ;  Durie  also  told  that  ther  would  be  a 
visitation  of  that  church  shortlie,  and  they  would  disc-erne  which 
of  them  were  in  the  wrongn.  Also,  Mr  Alex,  spake  to  the  Laird  of 
Fenges  Weyms,  a  probationer  ther  ;  and  this  gentleman  desyred 
Mr  Alex,  to  goe  on  and  chose  the  elders,  withall  telling  him  that 
the  charge  of  that  peopell  lay  on  him,  and  that  he  behoved  att  the 
last  day  of  judgment  to  be  countabell  for  them.  After  that  Mr 


10  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

Alex,  did  proceid  to  the  chosing  of  the  elders,  wha  were  placed  at  a 
tabell  before  the  pulpitt." 

After  such  a  scene  as  is  here  graphically,  if  quaintly, 
described,  one  would  think  that  it  would  be  a  difficult 
matter  for  elders  to  take  their  seats  "before  the  pulpitt," 
or  for  the  congregation  to  compose  their  minds  and  attend 
to  the  "  love  feast "  or  communion  without  feeling  that 
the  worshippers  of  Scoonie  laid  themselves  open  to  the 
rebuke  of  old — "I  hear  that  there  be  divisions  among 
you."  The  visitation  of  the  congregation  by  Kirkcaldy 
Presbytery  to  which  Durie  referred  took  place  in  August. 
The  names  of  the  elders  were  submitted  in  writing  by  Mr 
Moncrieff,  but  nothing  worthy  of  Lament's  notice  seems  to 
have  happened.  The  "jangling  "  between  Moncrieff  and 
Durie  went  on  for  years,  however,  Lamont  tells  us  that 
in  the  Provincial  Assembly  of  Fife,  in  1655,  "some 
ministers  were  appointed  to  speak  with  Mr  Alex.  Mon- 
crieff to  see  if  they  could  settle  the  business  between 
'  Durie  and  Alex.'  "  Five  years  after  this  Durie  departed 
this  life.  As  a  Protester  against  the  errors  of  the  times 
Moncrieff  was  right,  but  he  seems  to  have  added  to  his 
troubles  by  his  want  of  tact.  The  scene  in  Scoonie  church 
over  the  action  of  Durie  is  an  example  of  his  failure  to 
grasp  the  fitness  of  things.  Another  example  is  provided 
in  September  of  the  same  year.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
Provincial  Assembly  of  Fife,  at  St  Andrews,  he  charged  a 
minister  who  preached  the  opening  sermon  with  saying 
things  that  had  "given  offence  to  godlie  ministers."  Mr 
James  Wood,  the  minister  challenged,  seems  to  have 
silenced  his  opponent  by  telling  him  that  he  had  not  heard 
what,  was  said,  and  boldly  demanded  the  name  of  the 
informer.  In  1650,  the  General  Assembly  appointed  the 
ministers  of  Scoonie  and  Largo  to  attend  Charles  II.  until 


THE    PARISH    OP    SCOONIE.  11 

another  chaplain  was  provided  for  him.  Like  other 
Covenanters,  Moncrieff  and  Makgill  continued  to  pray  for 
the  King  after  he  was  driven  into  exile. 

The  cause  was  worthy  of  the  faithfulness  displayed  by 
the  ministers  of  Largo  and  Scoonie,  but  the  King  was  not. 
Woodrow  says  : — 

"  Moncrieff  was  persecuted  by  the  English  for  his  loyalty  to  the 
King,  and  his  constant  praying  for  him.  His  house  was  many 
times  searched  and  rifled  by  the  English,  and  he  was  obliged  to 
hide.  Upon  the  Sabbath  he  had  spies  set  upon  him,  and  was 
closely  watched  where  he  went  after  preaching.  Frequently  he 
was  hotly  pursued  ;  and  one  time  a  party  of  horse  came  after  him 
when  fleeing,  and  by  a  special  Providence,  though  attacked  once 
and  again  by  them,  by  his  own  fortitude  and  resolution  he  got  clear 
of  them,  and  escaped  at  that  time.  Thereafter  in  a  neighbouring 
congregation  he  was  seized,  and  imprisoned  some  time,  merely  for 
praying  for  the  King." 

In  October  1658,  he  presented  to  General  Monk  the 
document  known  as  the  "Testimony  against  Cromwell's 
Toleration."  It  was  signed  by  himself  and  seven  minis- 
ters. Woodrow  says  that  it  "exposed  Moncrieff  further 
to  the  extremities  of  the  times."  Moncrieff  was  amongst 
those  who  met  and  drew  up  a  petition  to  the  King.  On 
his  Restoration,  in  1660,  the  King  did  not  know  the  men 
who  had  been  faithful  to  him,  and  Monerieff  and  others 
were  allowed  to  be  seized  and  cast  into  prison  in  Edin 
burgh  Castle.  The  Marquis  of  Argyle  was  beheaded  in 
May  1661,  and  on  June  1st  James  Guthrie,  Moncrieff's 
fellow  prisoner,  was  executed.  Through  the  intervention 
of  friends,  Moncrieff  was  not  led  to  the  stake,  but  he  was 
by  the  Lords  of  the  Articles  robbed  of  all  employment, 
ecclesiastical  or  civic,  in  the  parish  of  Scoonie  for  all  time 
coming.  He  was  not  allowed  to  come  within  three  miles 
of  the  parish.  By  the  order  of  Archbishop  Sharp,  Mon- 
crieff's place  in  Scoonie  was  in  August  1662  filled  by  the 


12  HAMHLKS    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

appointment  of  John  Ramsay,  an  Angus  Episcopalian. 
Lainont  tells  us  that  after  sermon  there  was  delivered  to 
him  (Ramsay)  "the  bibell,  the  keys  of  the  church  doore 
and  bell  tow ;  and  Dury  was  required  to  be  assistant  to 
him,  which  he  undertook  to  do."  The  other  heritors  were 
not  present.  Lament  says  that  when  Ramsay  was  intro- 
duced to  the  parish,  Moncrieff  was  under  process  in 
Edinburgh. 

On  16th  July  1664,  a  decree  was  passed  against  him 
and  others  for  holding  conventicles,  arid  on  the  23rd  the 
Magistrates  of  Perth  were  appointed  to  seize  him  as  a 
"  noted  keeper  of  conventicles  in  and  about  Perth."  In 
the  hope  of  exterminating  the  men  of  the  Moncrieff  school, 
the  Archbishop  had  recourse  to  the  punishment  of  inter- 
communing.  When  the  sentence  of  intercommuning  was 
passed  upon  any  one,  even  his  nearest  relatives  were  pro- 
hibited, under  severe  penalties,  from  extending  a  friendly 
hand  to  him  or  ministering  in  any  way  to  his  needs  or 
comforts.  Sir  Walter  Scott  speaks  of  the  sentence  of 
intercommuning  as  the  work  of  the  "  Prince  of  the  Power 
of  the  Air."  Poor  Moncrieff  had  this  awful  sentence  pro- 
nounced upon  his  head.  For  27  years  he  was  buffeted 
and  driven  from  place  to  place,  having  many  hairbreadth 
escapes,  and  if  not  beaten  with  many  stripes,  he  certainly 
had  many  hardships  to  endure.  On  the  6th  October  1688, 
in  the  75th  year  of  his  age,  death  brought  an  end  to  his 
sufferings.  His  remains  found  a  last  resting  place  in 
Greyfriars  Churchyard,  Edinburgh.  The  remains  of  his 
wife,  Ann  Murray,  were  laid  by  his  side.  The  following 
is  a  translation  of  the  Latin  inscription  on  the  tombstone 
which  marks  the  grave  of  Moncrieff : — 

"  Alas  !  stay,  passc'iiger,  mourn  and  marvel.     The  friend  of  (iod, 
Christ's  faithful  champion,  the  great  ornament  of  the  Church,  here 


THE    PARISH    OF    SCOOSIE.  13 

lies  Mr  Alexander  Moncrieff,  of  honourable  parentage,  minister  at 
•Scoonie  for  the  space  of  eighteen  years,  a  notable  preacher,  mighty 
in  the  Scriptures,  not  seldom  inspired  with  the  spirit  of  prophecy  ; 
full  of  faith,  hope,  and  charity ;  another  Barnabas,  another 
Boanerges,  upright  in  life  and  pure  from  wickedness,  keeping  fast 
to  the  Reformed  faith,  a  stout  maintainer  of  the  most  pure 
discipline ;  who,  having  suffered  many  things  from  the  ire  of 
prelates  and  fury  of  malignants,  being  thrust  from  his  charge,  shut 
up  in  prison.  At  length  being  set  at  freedom,  he  exercised, 
fulfilled,  and  adorned  the  ministry  committed  to  him  by  the  Lord, 
in  the  worst  of  times,  and  by  a  sweet  triumph,  drew  rebellious 
souls  unto  Christ.  At  length,  at  the  dawning  of  the  day  of  liberty, 
he  was  removed  unto 'heavenly  light,  6th  October  16S8.  Of  his 
age,  75.  Here  also  lies  his  dearest  spouse,  Ann  Murray,  who, 
running  the  course  of  her  life  by  unfeigned  piety,  unshaken 
patience,  singular  prudence,  true  Christian  charity,  worshipping 
God,  bearing  the  cross  of  Christ,  managing  her  lawful  affairs,  and 
helping  the  faithful  in  affliction,  surrendered  her  soul  to  God  25th 
October  1704.  Of  her  age,  84." 

Other  Ministers  of  the  Parish. 

John  Ramsay,  who  succeeded  Moncrieff  in  1662,  was 
only  six  years  in  the  parish,  having  been  translated  to 
Markinch  in  1668.  George  Wood,  a  native  of  Crail,  came 
next,  but  his  ministry  was  cut  short  by  his  sudden  depar- 
ture for  England.  George  Landals,  who  was  translated 
from  Kemback  in  1680,  was  the  minister  for  but  two 
short  years.  John  Blair,  who  came  from  Auchtertool  on 
10th  May  1682,  does  not  seem  to  have  had  a  great  love 
for  their  Majesties  William  and  Mary,  and  had  charges 
brought  against  him  of  not  honouring  the  Crown-heads  in 
the  manner  prescribed  by  the  Synod.  In  1717  he  was 
deposed  by  a  committee  of  Synod.  In  the  same  year 
Thomas  Melville,  a  student  of  the  University  of  Glasgow, 
was  called  to  the  parish.  He  enjoyed  more  peaceful  times 
than  some  of  his  predecessors,  and  lived  through  a  quiet 
and  uneventful  ministry  until  October  1763,  when  through 


14  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

the  burdens  of  old  age  he  was  compelled  to  demit  his 
charge  in  favour  of  David  Swan,  an  assistant,  who  had 
obtained  his  degree  from  the  University  of  St  Andrev/s. 
Swan  held  the  position  of  Clerk  to  the  Synod  for  a  good 
many  years,  and  in  1802  he  had  the  degree  of  D.D.  con- 
ferred upon  him  by  the  University  and  Marischal  College, 
Aberdeen.  Swan  died  in  October  1812,  in  his  77th  year 
and  the  49th  year  of  his  ministry.  Mr  Swan  wrote  the 
article  in  the  "  Old  Statistical  Account  of  Scotland,"  pub- 
lished in  1790. 

George  Brewster,  a  tutor  in  the  Durie  family,  was  the 
next  minister.  Brewster,  who  was  a  man  of  considerable 
literary  ability,  was  the  author  of  several  articles  which 
appeared  in  the  "Edinburgh  Encyclopaedia,"  and  the 
writer  of  the  "Parish  of  Scoonie"  for  the  "New  Statis- 
tical Account  of  Scotland"  in  1836.  He  had  the  degree 
of  D.D.  conferred  upon  him  by  the  University  of  St 
Andrews.  Mr  Brewster  died  in  1855,  in  his  75th  year 
and  in  the  42nd  of  his  ministry.  Dr  Brewster  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  D.  Brown,  who,  in  1859,  accepted  a 
call  to  a  charge  in  the  "  Second  City  "  of  the  Empire. 

The  famous  Scoonie  Case  arose  over  the  appointment  of 
a  successor  to  Mr  Brown.  Mr  James  Black  wood  was  elected 
after  a  three  years'  conflict.  He  was  a  young  man  of  great 
ability,  but  to  the  deep  regret  of  many  friends,  he  was  cut 
down  at  the  age  of  36  years,  and  in  1866  the  pulpit  was 
once  more  vacant,  The  Rev.  John  Duncan,  who  was  a 
D.D.  of  St  Andrews,  took  up  duty  for  Mr  Black  wood. 
He  died  in  1880.  And  then  came  the  present  pastor,  the 
Rev.  Dr  Charles  Durward.  Dr  Durward  is  a  native  of 
Aberdeen.  He  studied  at  St  Andrews,  and  when  he 
accepted  an  assistantship  in  Glasgow  Cathedral  was  an 
M.A.,  B.D.  He  is  Convener  of  the  Board  of  Examiners 


THE    PARISH    OF    SCOONIE.  15 

for  the  entrance  and  Sub-Examination  of  Divinity  students 
of  St  Andrews  University,  and  in  1898  he  had  the  gratifi- 
cation of  having  the  degree  of  D.D.  conferred  upon  him 
by  his  alma  mater.  The  manner  his  services  to  the  Uni- 
versity are  appreciated  will  be  apparent  when  it  is  stated 
that  the  Court  in  1904  appointed  him  for  a  second  term 
as  Examiner  for  the  Degree  of  B.D. 

Scoonie  Kirk  of  other  Days  and  To=da\  . 

Away  back  in  far-off  days,  Scoonie  Church  stood  in  the 
little  God's  acre  which  now  forms  the  cemetery  for  the 
parish.  In  the  middle  of  tjie  eighteenth  century  the 
building  was  in  a  very  dilapidated  state,  and  in  1760  it 
was  reported  to  be  neither  wind  nor  water  tight.  Money 
was  not  by  any  means  plentiful,  however,  and  weeks  and 
months,  and  indeed  years,  passed  without  any  practical 
step  being  taken  to  provide  a  new  building.  Of  the  1550 
people  in  the  parish  upwards  of  1100  were  resident  in 
Leven,  and  an  agitation  seems  to  have  arisen  for  the  new 
church  being  built  in  Leven.  The  site  difficulty  tended  to 
procrastination,  and  on  June,  12,  1765,  the  Session  met 
and  passed  the  following  minute  : — 

"June  12,  1765. — The  Session  in  the  next  place  took  into  con- 
sideration the  many  inconveniences  to  which  the  parish  is  subjected 
by  their  being  obliged  to  desert  the  church  on  account  of  its  frail 
condition,  and  appoint  the  Moderator  to  wait  upon  the  residing 
herito7-s  without  loss  of  time,  and  to  represent  to  them  the  present 
inconveniences  the  parish  labours  under,  and  to  request  them  to 
take  the  proper  steps  for  removing  these  inconveniences,  and 
further  desired  the  Moderator  to  report  the  result  to  next  meeting 
of  Session." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Session  in  July  1765,  the  Moderator 
reported  that  he  had  waited  upon  the  heritors,  and  that 
"  they  had  now  the  providing  of  a  kirk  under  considera- 


16  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIK    AND    AVEMYSS. 

tion."  While  the  heritors  were  considering  the  question, 
the  old  church  in  Scoonie  churchyard  became  a  complete 
wreck,  and  in  February  1769  we  find  the  Session  had 
before  them  an  account  for  £12  12s,  submitted  by  a  joiner 
for  "  seating  the  old  barn  in  the  north-east  end  of  Leven 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  parish  to  hear  public 
worship."  The  barn  was  occupied  for  six  years,  the  new 
church  in  Leven  having  been  opened  in  July  1775.  At 
that  time  the  population  of  Leven  was  1165.  The  Church 
was  seated  for  700  hearers,  and  it  is  interesting  to  quote 
Mr  Swan's  description  from  the  "  Old  Statistical  Account." 
He  says: — "The  Church,  a  neat  and  modern  building, 
with  a  spire,  was  erected  16  years  ago,  in  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  of  Leven,  being  moi'e  convenient  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  parish  than  the  old  situation  at 
Scoonie.  The  manse  has  been  inhabited  about  15  years." 

In  1822  the  heritors  were  compelled  to  face  an  enlarge- 
ment of  the  church,  and  the  sittings  were  increased  to 
1000.  By  1901  it  was  found  that  the  church  had  once 
more  burst  its  bounds,  and  the  present  church  was  erected 
on  the  site  of  the  old  building.  It  is  seated  for  1210 
people.  Mr  P.  Macgregor  Chalmers,  Glasgow,  was  the 
architect.  The  dedication  ceremony  took  place  on  Satur- 
day, August  6th,  1904.  Since  the  opening  of  the  church 
several  windows  have  been  filled  in  with  stained  glass  by 
friends  who  have  for  years  taken  a  practical  interest  in 
church  life  in  Scoonie.  The  new  church  cost  £5200.  A 
total  of  £3600,  including  .£1000  from  the  heritors  of  the 
parish,  was  raised  by  subscription,  and  the  balance  was 
nearly  wiped  off  by  a  bazaar  which  was  held  on  the  13th, 
14th,  and  15th  April  1905.  The  manse  was  enlarged  and 
repaired  in  1S20,  and  the  globe,  which  was  about,  twelve 
acres,  lias  been  partly  feued. 


Scoonie  Kirk,  1775. 


18 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    AVEMYSS. 


The  House  of  Durie. 


By  permission  of] 


Durie  House. 


[Mr  A.  Hogg,  chemist. 


The  Durie  Family  figures  prominently  in  the  early 
records  of  the  parish  of  Scoonie.  As  far  back  as  1260, 
Sir  Reginald  Cheyne  gave  a  charter  of  the  lands  of  Durie 
to  Gilbert,  son  of  Robert  of  Strathearn,  and  grandson  of 
Earl  Gilbert  of  Strathearn.  This  charter  was  confirmed 
by  Adam  de  Kilconquhar,  Earl  of  Carrick,  whose  widow 
married  Sir  Robert  de  Bruce  of  Annandale,  and  to  whom 
was  born  a  son  who  took  the  name  of  Robert,  and  who 
became  King  Robert  the  Bruce.  From  Gilbert,  son  of 
Robert  of  Strathearn,  the  subsequent  lairds  of  Durie  were 
descended. 

The  estate  of  Durie  was  held  by  a  family  of  the  name 
of  Durie  from  1310  to  1554,  the  family  terminating  in  an 


THE    PARISH    OP    SCOONIE.  19 

heiress  in  the  latter  year.  Among  the  most  eminent 
members  of  the  Durie  family  was  George  Durie,  Arch- 
deacon of  St  Andrews,  perpetual  Commendator  of  Dun- 
fermline  Abbey,  and  the  last  abbot  of  the  Abbey  before 
the  Reformation.  He  was  a  son  of  John  Dury  of  Dury, 
and  brother  to  Andrew  Dury,  abbot  of  Melrose  and 
Galloway.  Archbishop  Beaton  was  an  uncle  of  the  Dun- 
fermline  abbot,  and  it  was  with  the  permission  of  Beaton 
that  lie  took  the  title  of  abbot  or  commendator  of  Dun- 
fermline.  On  the  death  of  the  Archbishop  in  1539,  King 
James  V.  homologated  Beaton's  appointment,  and  pro- 
moted Durie  to  the  honour  and  authority  of  the  office. 
Durie  was  Keeper  of  the  Privy  Seal  in  1554,  and  in  1561 
he  accompanied  the  Earl  of  Eglinton  to  France  for  the 
purpose  of  inducing  the  widowed  and  ill-fated  Queen  Mary 
to  return  to  "dear  old  Scotland." 

When  Patrick  Hamilton  and  Walter  Mill  were  seized 
and  sentenced  to  death  by  Archbishop  Beaton  and  his 
court  at  St  Andrews,  Durie  cast  his  vote  against 
the  martyrs.  There  was  no  end  to  Durie's  zeal  for  the 
Roman  Catholic  faith.  His  cousin,  John  Durie,  was  a 
monk  at  Dunfermline.  The  monk  embraced  the  Pro- 
testant faith  in  1563.  So  enraged  was  the  Abbot  at 
the  change  of  faith  on  the  part  of  his  relative  that  he 
had  him  brought  to  trial  for  heresy,  and  sentenced  to  be 
"built  up  between  two  walls"  until  he  died.  Through 
the  good  offices  of  the  Earl  of  Arran,  however,  the  monk 
was  liberated,  and  he  became  one  of  the  most  uncompro- 
mising opponents  of  Popery  of  his  time.  A  biographer 
tells  us  that  he  uttered  his  denunciations  "  with  a  mighty 
spirit,  voice,  and  action."  He  attended  the  Laird  of 
Grange  in  Edinburgh  on  the  scaffold  in  1574,  in  opposi- 
tion to  all  the  bishops  of  the  land,  and  in  1581  he  was  in 


20  RAMBLES    IX    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

attendance  on  the  Regent  Morton  at  his  execution.  The 
wily  abbot  is  said  to  have  died  a  martyr's  death,  and 
because  of  the  zeal  he  exhibited  against  the  disciples  of 
John  Knox  he  was  canonized  by  the  Church  of  Rome. 

Janet  Durie,  who  succeeded  to  the  estate  in  1554, 
married  Henry  Kemp  of  Thomastoun,  and  Kemp  took  the 
name  of  Durie.  Janet's  grandson,  Robert  Durie,  parted 
with  the  estate  in  1614  to  -Sir  Alex.  Gibson,  who  owned 
the  town  of  Leven,  Innerleven,  and  adjoining  properties. 
Thus  Sir  Alexander's  possessions  became  the  barony  of 
Durie.  Sir  Alexander  was  one  of  the  greatest  lawyers  of 
his  time.  In  1627  he  became  a  Lord  of  Session;  in  1628 
he  was  created  a  baronet,  and  in  1642  was  raised  to  the 
high  office  of  Lord  President  of  the  Court  of  Session. 

In  his  "  Border  Minstrelsy,"  Scott  tells  a  curious  story 
of  the  kidnapping  of  the  Lord  President.  The  Earl  of 
Traquair,  the  Lord  High  Treasurer  of  the  period,  had  a 
lawsuit  of  some  importance  before  the  Court  of  Session. 
He  assumed  that  the  presiding  judge  was  unfavourable  to 
his  side,  and  he  employed  Christie's  Will,  one  of  the 
Border  mosstroopers,  to  kidnap  him  while  taking  his 
favourite  ride  on  the  sands  of  Leith.  Will,  it  is  said, 
decoyed  the  President  from  the  sands,  seized  him,  and 
carried  him  off  to  an  old  castle,  the  Tower  of  Graham,  in 
Annandale.  Sir  Alexander  was  "  lifted  "  by  his  old  friend 
Will,  after  three  months'  confinement,  muffled  in  the 
cloak  used  for  the  abduction,  and  was  set  down  on  Leith 
sands  on  the  spot  where  he  was  taken  from.  Numerous 
versions  of  the  abduction  are  given  ;  but,  strange  to  say, 
the  so-called  "  facts  "  of  the  writers  are  irreconcilable,  and 
there  is  a  good  deal  to  be  said  for  the  deductions  of  Mr 
A.  H.  Miller,  who,  in  "Fife:  Pictorial  and  Historical," 
argues  that  if  Sir  Alexander  Gibson  ever  was  the  victim 


THE    PARISH    OF    SCOONIE.  21 

of  a  mosstrooper's  abduction  it  must  have  been  before  he 
was  a  Lord  of  Session,  and  certainly  before  he  became 
Laird  of  Durie,  and  thus  the  tradition  dwindles  down  to 
an  "aggravated  case  of  assault,  robbery,  and  abduction." 

The  Lord  President's  eldest  son  was  made  Lord  Clerk 
Register  in  1641,  and  a  Senator  of  the  College  of  Justice 
in  1664.  He  was  deprived  of  both  offices  by  Cromwell  in 
1649.  His  grandson,  Sir  Alexander  Gibson  of  Durie, 
died  without  issue,  and  the  eldest  male  line  of  the  family 
having  thus  become  extinct,  the  title  and  estates  devolved 
upon  the  descendants  of  Sir  John  Gibson  of  Pentland,  the 
second  son  of  Sir  Alexander  the  famous  President  of  the 
Court  of  Session.  Sir  John  Gibson  was  blind  to  the 
follies  of  Charles  I.,  and  he  accompanied  Charles  II.  at 
the  battle  of  Worcester,  where  he  lost  a  leg.  Durie 
remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Gibson  family  until  1785, 
when  the  estate  was  purchased  by  James  Christie,  the 
great-grandfather  of  Mr  11.  Maitland  Christie,  the  present 
proprietor,  who  succeeded  his  father  in  1896.  He  repre- 
sents Scoonie  in  the  County  Council  of  Fife,  and  since  the 
'Seventies  has  taken  a  great  interest  in  county  matters. 
The  mansion-house  of  Durie  is  pleasantly  situated.  It  was 
built  in  1762  by  the  father  of  the  last  Gibson  of  Durie. 


Scoonie  Kirk,  1905. 


A  CHAPTER  IN  SCOONIE  KIRK  HISTORY. 


The  Conflict  of  1856-60-61. 

WHAT  in  the  ecclesiastical  history  of  Scotland  is  known 
as  "  The  Scoonie  Kirk  Case  "  was  fought  out  between 
the  beginning  of  1859  and  June  1861.  The  Rev.  D.  Brown 
was  called  to  Glasgow  in  January  of  the  former  year,  and 
when  the  vacancy  took  place,  application  was  made  to 
Government,  through  the  Earl  of  Rosslyn,  for  power  to 
the  congregation  to  choose  a  minister.  A  letter  was 
received  from  the  Home  Secretary  granting  permission  to 
the  "chief  inhabitants"  of  the  parish  to  select  their  future 


THE    PARISH    OP   SCOONIE.  23 

minister,  reserving  a  veto  to  the  Crown  over  the  selection. 
A  meeting  of  the  male  communicants  of  the  congregation 
was  held  within  the  church,  when  the  document  granting 
permission  to  select  a  minister  was  in  effect  handed  over ; 
and  it  was  resolved  to  appoint  a  committee,  who  were  to 
look  out  two  suitable  ministers.  The  names  of  the  two 
were  to  be  submitted  to  the  choice  of  the  male  communi- 
cants, the  one  having  the  majority  of  votes  to  be  recom- 
mended to  the  Home  Secretary  to  receive  the  presenta- 
tion. By  way  of  providing  against  discussion,  it  was  also 
agreed  that  the  "minority  were  to  give  in  to  the  majority." 
The  Committee,  in  entering  upon  their  labours,  had  very 
soon  a  long  list  of  ministers  before  them.  At  the  very 
first  meeting,  without  any  application  on  his  part,  the 
name  of  the  Rev.  James  Black  wood,  assistant  minister  in 
the  neighbouring  parish  of  Ceres,  was  placed  on  the  list. 
He  had  twice  preached  in  the  church  during  the  previous 
incumbency,  and  created  a  favourable  impression.  The 
Committee  went  zealously  to  work,  and  after  employing 
upwards  of  two  months  in  hearing,  by  deputations,  various 
ministers,  and  making  enquiry  as  to  others,  a  list  of  thirty- 
three  was  reduced  to  four,  Mr  Blackwood  being  one  of  the 
four.  At  this  stage  a  petition  was  presented  from  about 
120  members  and  adherents  of  the  church,  praying  that 
Mr  Blackwood's  name  be  retained  as  one  of  the  two  to  be 
submitted  to  the  choice  of  the  male  communicants.  A 
deputation  of  four  was  sent  to  Ceres  to  hear  Mr  Black- 
wood  preach,  two  of  whom  reported  favourably,  two  un- 
favourably ;  but  a  number  of  other  members  of  committee 
accompanied  the  deputation  to  Ceres,  and  all  of  them 
reported  favourably  of  Mr  Blackwood.  The  committee 
now  resolved  that  they  would  invite  all  the  four  candi- 
dates who  were  on  the  list  to  preach  before  the  congre- 


24:  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

gation.  Three  consented  to  do  so.  At  a  committee 
meeting  held  afcer  the  three  had  been  heard,  a  member 
made  a  motion  that  Mr  Blackwood's  name  be  deleted 
from  the  list,  when  eleven  voted  for  and  fourteen  against 
the  motion ;  whereupon,  without  further  notice,  ten  of  the 
minority  silently  left  the  meeting.  The  majority  of  the 
committee  immediately  called  a  meeting  of  the  congrega- 
tion, and  laid  a  report  of  their  proceedings  before  them. 
Tue  meeting  unanimously  agreed  that  the  committee 
proceed  with  their  labours,  and  bring  forward  the  two  for 
the  choice  of  the  congregation.  The  committee,  after 
again  meeting  twice,  ultimately  reduced  the  list  to  two. 
when  a  meeting  of  the  male  communicants  was  held,  at 
which  were  present  210.  Two  hundred  and  six  voted  for 
Mr  Blackwood ;  three  for  the  other  candidate— one  declin- 
ing to  vote — the  three,  in  terms  of  the  original  resolution, 
giving  in  to  the  majority ;  whereupon  the  chairman  de- 
clared the  Rev.  James  Blackwood  unanimously  chosen. 
The  committee,  in  furtherance  of  the  instructions  of  the 
congregational  meeting,  immediately  forwarded  to  the  Earl 
of  Rosslyn  a  copy  of  the  minute  and  sederunt  of  the  meet- 
ing, requesting  his  Lordship  to  lay  the  same  before  the 
Home  Secretary,  the  Committee  expressing  a  hope  that 
Mr  Blackwood  would  receive  the  presentation  to  the 
vacant  charge  with  all  convenient  speed. 

The  Earl  of  Ilosslyn,  in  acknowledging  receipt,  inti- 
mated to  the  Committee  that  he  had  also  received  a 
protest  from  the  Kirk-Session  and  others  against  the 
selection  of  Mr  Blackwood.  The  committee  and  congre- 
gation were  astonished  at  the  turn  things  had  taken,  and 
immediately  corresponded  with  his  Lordship,  requesting  to 
be  furnished  with  a  copy  of  the  protest,  and  assuring  his 
Lordship  that  everything  had  been  conducted  in  due  form 


THE    PARISH    OF    SCOONIE.  25 

and  in  proper  order,  and  that  the  peace  and  welfare  of  the 
congregation  would  be  promoted  by  the  appointment  of 
Mr  Blackwood.  His  Lordship's  reply  intimated  that  "he 
had  handed  all  the  papers  in  his  possession,  recom- 
mendatory or  otherwise  o*  the  Rev.  James  Blackwood, 
into  the  hands  of  the  Home  Secretary,  and  had  declined 
all  recommendation  of  others,  as  his  original  recommenda- 
tion that  the  congregation  of  Scoonie  should  select  its  own 
minister  precluded  him  from  taking  any  other  course." 
An  interview  was  next  sought  and  obtained  with  the 
Lord  Advocate,  nine  members  of  committee  forming  the 
deputation.  The  whole  facts  of  the  case  were  laid  before 
him.  He  requested  to  be  furnished  with  the  communion- 
roll  of  the  church,  and  the  letter  of  the  Home  Secretary 
granting  the  power  to  the  congregation  to  choose  their 
minister  :  the  first  was  complied  with  ;  but  on  applying  to 
one  of  the  party  who  had  left  the  committee,  in  whose 
possession  the>  Home  Secretary's  letter  had  from  the  first 
remained,  it  was  refused.  From  the  authenticated  copy 
of  the  communion-roll,  the  total  male  communicants  was 
found  to  be  266.  In  addition  to  the  209  who  voted  for 
Mr  Blackwood,  a  supplementary  list  was  afterwards  ob- 
tained of  25,  which  was  also  forwarded  to  the  Lord 
Advocate,  of  those  who  were  unavoidably  absent  from  the 
meeting  of  the  congregation,  but  who  also  approved  of  the 
choice  then  made,  making  234  in  favour  of  Mr  Blackwood. 
There  were  12  communicants  absent  from  the  parish ; 
there  were  1 1  known  to  have  signed  the  protest  against 
Mr  Blackwood's  selection,  thus  accounting  for  all  but  nine 
of  the  whole  male  communicants — several  of  which  nine, 
from  their  residences  being  in  distant  parts  of  the  parish, 
made  it  impossible  at  the  time  to  ascertain  what  their 
views  were.  The  Home  Secretary  was  also  communicated 


26  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

with,  and  the  whole  information  having  reference  to  the 
matter  was  laid  before  him.  Testimonials  in  favour  of  Mr 
Blackwood  were  forwarded  from  almost  all  the  ministers 
in  the  Presbytery  of  Cupar. 

After  much  delay,  the  committee  received  a  letter 
from  the  Home  Secretary,  intimating  that  in  consequence 
of  a  number  of  the  congregation,  including  the  whole  of 
the  Kirk-Session,  being  opposed  to  Mr  Blackwood,  he 
would  consider  it  to  be  his  duty  himself  to  appoint  a 
gentleman  to  the  incumbency  whose  ministrations  he 
trusted  would  be  acceptable  to  the  entire  congregation. 
The  committee  immediately  answered  this  letter,  repre- 
senting to  him  that  deep  injury  to  the  congregation  would 
be  the  consequence  of  such  a  course.  The  committee  also 
corresponded  with  Mr  Wemyss,  the  Member  for  the 
County  (who  knew  the  whole  facts  of  the  case,  from  his 
residence  being  in  the  neighbourhood),  and  received  an 
answer  from  him,  that  if  Lord  Derby's  Government  left 
office  without  making  the  appointment,  the  presentation 
would  be  given  to  Mr  Blackwood.  The  committee  at 
this  period  applied  to  the  Session  to  withdraw  their  opposi- 
tion, and  four  of  the  five  members  stated  in  writing  that 
they  would  not  oppose  the  settlement  of  Mr  Blackwood, 
should  he  receive  the  appointment.  This  document  was 
immediately  forwarded  to  the  Home  Office  :  an  answer 
wiis  received  in  course,  however,  stating  that  the  living 
had  already  been  given  to  the  Rev.  Wm.  Logie,  minister 
of  the  parish  of  Firth  and  Stenness,  Orkney. 

It  was  patronage  which  gave  birth  to  the  Relief  Church 
and  which  brought  about  the  Disruption,  and  it  was  pat- 
ronage which  led  to  a  little  Disruption  in  the  parish  of 
Scoonie.  The  announcement  of  the  presentation  by  the 
Crown  to  Mr  Logie  aroused  a  great  amount  of  indignation  in 


THE    PARISH    OF    SCOONIK.  27 

the  parish,  and  if  his  sermons  were  "cold  and  formal"  when 
he  preached  in  July  as  presented,  there  was  no  want  of 
heat  in  the  pews.  An  uncompromising  opposition  to  Mr 
Logie  arose.  In  the  Presbytery  of  Kirkcaldy  Mr  Logic's 
claims  to  the  parish  were  contested  at  every  turn,  and  at 
a  time  when  it  seemed  as  if  nearly  the  whole  parish  was 
fighting  a  few  members  of  the  kirk,  the  Presbytery  agreed 
to  hear  evidence  for  and  against  Mr  Logie  at  Kirkcaldy. 
Twenty-one  witnesses  who  appeared  for  the  objectors  had 
much  the  same  story  to  tell.  Mr  Logic's  preaching  was 
"  cold  and  formal,  without  zeal  and  without  animation," 
and  his  prayers  were  "  without  exalted  thought  and 
animation."  The  proof  for  the  objectors  was  closed  on 
22nd  September,  and  the  Presbytery  did  not  again  sit 
until  6th  October  to  hear  the  case  for  the  objectors.  A 
good  deal  of  rowdyism  was  indulged  in  for  some  nights 
after  Mr  Logie  was  presented — the  windows  of  the  houses 
of  some  of  his  supporters  being  smashed  in.  During  the 
interval  which  elapsed  between  the  hearing  of  the  case  for 
the  objectors  and  for  the  presentee,  excitement  once  more 
reached  fever  point.  One  night  when  Mr  Logic's  sup- 
porters arrived  from  Kirkcaldy  they  were  met  by  a  crowd 
at  the  railway  station,  and  were  hooted  and  pelted  with 
stones.  After  the  proof,  the  Presbytery  by  a  majority  of 
1 2  to  3  found  against  the  objectors.  The  Synod  by  a 
majority  of  14  to  7  affirmed  the  decision  of  the  Presbytery. 
The  case  came  before  the  Assembly  in  May  1860,  and  by 
a  majority  of  159  to  85  the  deliverances  of  the  Presbytery 
and  Synod  were  reversed  and  the  case  of  the  objectors 
upheld.  In  July  1860  the  congregation  met  and  recom- 
mended that  the  Crown  should  present  Mr  Blackwood. 

A  call  in  favour  of  Mr  Blackwood   was  read  at  the 
October  meeting  of    the   Presbytery ;    but  here   the  sup- 


L'S  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE  ~AKD    WEYMSS. 

porters  of  Mr  Logie  appeared  and  objected  to  Mr  Black- 
wood  on  the  plea  that  his  sermons  were  disfigured  by 
"slang  phrases."  Despite  the  fact  that  Mr  Blackwood 
received  the  presentation  from  the  Crown,  a  second  battle 
arose,  and  was  fought  out  before  the  Presbytery  and  the 
Synod.  In  May  1861  it  was  stated  in  the  Assembly  that 
there  were  900  members  and  adherents  for  Mr  Blackwood 
and  only  22  against,  and  the  Assembly  practically  unani- 
mously set  aside  the  objections  and  ordained  the  Presby- 
tery to  proceed  with  the  induction  of  Mr  Blackwood. 
The  induction  was  lixed  for  28th  June.  While  the 
Presbyterj  was  met  in  Scoonie  Kirk  vestry,  the  church 
was  taken  possession  of  by  a  great  congregation.  The 
objectors  made  a  final  effort  at  the  Presbytery  meeting  to 
prevent  the  induction  of  Mr  Blackwood ;  but  every 
objection  was  brushed  aside  and  the  two  and  a  half  years' 
conflict  ended  in  the  induction  of  the  man  upon  whom  the 
congregation  had  set  their  minds.  It  is  upwards  of  40 
years  since  the  exciting  days  of  the  Scoonie  Case.  With 
the  few  who  are  still  alive  who  took  part  in  the  conflict 
the  wounds  of  the  struggle  have  long  been  healed. 

During  the  battle  a  great  many  prints  were  issued  by 
the  scribes  of  the  times.  Mr  H.  13.  Farnie,  the  author  of 
"The  Fife  Coast,"  issued  "A  Scoonie  Ballad,"  which  had 
an  enormous  circulation.  Here  are  a  few  sample  verses 
from  Farnie  : — 

Their  minds  recoiled  from  the  bleak  sea-shore, 

And  roved  to  the  inland  lea 
Where  Blackwood  he  passed  a  pleasant  life 

All  under  his  own  fig-tree. 

"  Oh,  come  to  us  from  the  bleak  sea-shore," 
And,  "  Oh,  come  from  the  woodland  scene," 

Thus  spoke  the  twain — and  never  again 
Will  be  such  a  breeze,  I  ween  ! 


THE    PARISH    OF    SCOONIE. 

So  the  Logie-ites  they  are  the  Bond, 
And  the  Blackwood-ites  the  Free — 

At  least,  so  runs  the  feeling,  and — 
It's  all  the  same  to  me. 

Poor  Mr  Logie  !  he  weakened  their  faith, 
His  manner  was  cold  and  formal, 

He  wanted  zeal,  and  he  wanted  soul, 
And  his  sermons  were  quite  abnormal. 

Also,  moreover,  and  added  to  that, 
His  voice  it  was  not  modulated, 

And  his  sermons  he  read,  an  enormity  which 
His  orthodox  critics  all  hated. 


THE  BURGH  OF  LEVEN. 


In  the  Olden  Time. 

I  EVEN  was  one  of  the  places  on  the  East  Coast  which 
*-*  was  not  raised  in  early  times  to  the  dignity  of  a 
Royal  Burgh,  and  there  is  an  entire  absence  of  the 
valuable  Town  Council  records  which  are  found  in  the 
charter  chests  of  Grail,  Pittenweem,  and  Anstruther.  Only 
at  intervals  do  we  come  across  charters  which  give  us  a 
peep  at  Leven  in  the  olden  time.  Away  back  in  the  dim 
and  distant  past  Leven  must  have  been  a  hamlet  which 
was  dependent  on  the  harvests  of  the  Forth  and  the  Leven 
fora  subsistence.  In  a  charter  dated  1546  it  is  designated 
Levynnis-mouth.  In  that  year  Alexander  Gow  of  the 
Maw  made  a  contribution  toward  the  repairing  of  Culross 
Abbey  and  the  Monastery  in  Levynnis-ruouth.  In  the 
"  Scottish  Family  of  Lander  "  we  have  a  document  which 
is  dated  July  1609  referred  to,  and  from  which  it  appears 
that  the  town  and  harbour  of  Leven  then  belonged  to  the 
Archbishopric  of  St  Andrews.  Here  is  the  description  of 
the  document : — 

"  The  charter  maid  be  vmq'e  george,  Archebishope  of  St  androi's 
to  vmqle  Mr  george  Lander  of  Bass,  and  his  Airs,  Off  and  haile 
the  landes  of  Scony,  Monflowrie,  Bambeith,  thriepland,  Leven, 
porte  and  heavin  of  Levin,  And  of  the  toua  and  baronie  of  Levin, 
customes  and  dewties  belanging  thairto,  Mylnes,  Mylnlandes, 
Muttoris,  and  fischings  Oft'  the  water  of  Levin,  And  off  the  vther 
liberties,  priuiledgis,  and  donatiounis  mentionat  in  the  said  chartor, 
and  disponit  to  the  said  Mr  george  Lander  and  his  aires  heretablie.'' 


THK    BURGH    OP    LEVEN.  31 

Lauder  of  the  Bass  died  in  1613,  and  in  the  following 
year  his  property  was  acquired  by  Sir  Alexander  Gibson. 
At  that  time  the  barony  of  Durie  included  only  Meikle 
and  Little  Balcurvie  and  Hauch,  but  when  Sir  Alexander 
Gibson  purchased  the  property  oE  the  Lauders,  the 
boundaries  of  the  barony  were  extended  so  that  they 
included  Mountfleurie,  Banbeath,  Thriepland,  the  town  of 
Leven,  Innerleveri,  and  Balgrummo.  Subsequent  pur- 
chases of  smaller  estates  led  to  Coldstream,  Sillerhole, 
Myresides,  Balstressies,  and  Duniface  being  also  included 
in  the  barony  of  Durie. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  state  that  David  I.,  the 
youngest  son  of  Malcolm  Canmore,  was  the  first  ruler 
to  draw  up  laws  founded  on  the  usages  of  towns  and 
villages  in  England  and  Scotland.  During  his  reign 
each  burgh  secured  the  legal  right  of  self-government — 
the  election  of  magistrates  being  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  burgesses.  The  powers  of  the  magistrates  ranged 
from  whipping  to  hanging,  and  the  burgh  had  a  complete 
monopoly  of  the  trade  of  a  district.  The  burgesses  of  a 
Royal  Burgh,  for  instance,  may  have  been  conceded  a 
monopoly  of  the  trade  of  West  Fife,  and  none  but  bur- 
gesses could  buy  or  sell  or  manufacture  within  the  pre- 
scribed area.  The  abbots  and  the  barons  soon  began  to 
get  envious  of  the  power  of  Royal  Burghs,  and  the  abbots 
and  great  lords  combined  and  had  the  villages  which 
sprung  up  near  the  cathedrals  and  abbeys  erected  into 
burghs.  They  were  designated  Burghs  of  Regality.  The 
barons  followed  up  the  action  of  the  abbots  and  had  the 
villages  near  their  castles  erected  into  burghs.  These 
burghs  were  called  Burghs  of  Barony.  Servants  were 
the  slaves  of  their  masters  in  these  times.  If  a  stray 
bondsman  happened  to  be  found  without  a  master,  he 


32  RAMBLES    IX    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

was  allowed  fifteen  days  to  find  an  engagement.  At 
the  Abbey  of  Dunfermline,  for  instance,  a  register  was 
kept  containing  the  pedigrees  of  slaves  on  the  estate,  with 
their  marriages,  names  of  the  persons  whom  daughters 
had  married,  and  the  tax  paid  by  bondsmen  when  they 
gave  their  daughters  in  marriage,  and  so  deprived  the 
abbey  of  their  service. 

The  Harbour  and  Dock. 

In  the  olden  time  the  farmers  of  customs  in  Scotland 
were  called  Custuraars.  As  far  back  as  1435  there  is  an 
Exchequer  entry  by  the  custumars  of  the  Burgh  of  Lin- 
lithgow  for  twelve  shillings,  being  the  freight  of  a  boat 
containing  twenty  carcases  of  salted  oxen  out  of  the 
king's  larder  at  Stirling  from  the  harbour  of  Blackness  to 
the  Water  of  Leven.  The  carcases  had  been  sent  by  order 
of  the  king,  and  it  is  quite  within  the  bounds  of  proba- 
bility that  they  were  sent  to  Leven,  being  the  nearest 
port  to  Falkland.  A  boat  containing  as  many  as  twenty 
carcases  of  oxen  must  have  been  a  craft  of  considerable 
size,  and  leads  one  to  the  inference  that  in  1435  there 
must  have  been  a  small  harbour  at  Levenmouth,  and  such 
a  number  of  residents  as  were  able  to  carry  on  a  little 
shipping  trade.  No  other  notice  of  Leven  is  found  until 
1540,  when  we  have  the  following  item  in  the  accounts  of 
the  Lord  High  Treasurer  : — 

"  Item,  given  to  Maister  Andro  Quhytelaw  for  fraught  of  ane 
Bote,  furth  of  Leith  to  Levynnis-mouth  with  the  Selver  Wark, 
and  for  carriage  thairof  to  Saintandrois  at  the  Baptzme  of  my  Loi'd 
Prince,  iiij  li." 

In  1565,  Henry  Durie  of  that  Ilk  was  appointed  by 
the  Crown  "Keeper  of  the  harbour  of  Lavynns-mouth  " 
and  the  coast  in  order  to  stop  the  enemies  of  the  King 
and  Queen. 


THE    BURGH    OP    LEVEN.  33 

Tn  1602,  "  Levnis-mouth  "  ranked  with  the  harbours  of 
Elie,  Sanctmonanis,  Westir  Wemyss,  and  Queensferry. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  Privy  Council,  held  at  Dunfermline 
in  that  year,  it  was  reported  that  smuggling  of  contraband 
goods  from  the  Continent  was  being  carried  on  to  an 
enormous  extent  at  many  ports  in  Scotland,  and  an  ordin- 
ance was  passed  prohibiting  owners  and  masters  of  vessels 
at  many  ports  on  both  sides  of  the  Forth  from  shipping 
or  unshipping  goods  of  any  kind  (coals  and  salt  excepted). 
Levens-mouth  was  one  of  the  prohibited  ports. 

In  1699,  there  was  a  barque  in  Leven  called  the 
"  Isobell,"  and  in  November  of  that  year  John  Lamont 
of  Newton  sold  to  John  Arnot  of  Balcormo  a  fourth-part 
of  the  ship.  On  Lamont  discharging  Arnot  for  the  price, 
Arnot  became  bound  by  a  deed,  dated  at  St  Andrews, 
27th  November  1700,  to  deliver  to  the  former  "fortie 
pyncs  and  ane  mutchkin  of  good  and  sufficient  French 
brandie." 

In  the  "  Old  Statistical  Account,"  which  was  published 
in  1791,  the  Rev.  David  Swan,  the  minister  of  the  parish 
of  Scoonie,  tells  us  that  "  there  were  six  trading  vessels  of 
from  90  to  140  or  150  tons  belonging  to  the  port,  em- 
ployed mostly  in  the  Holland  and  East  Sea  trade."  The 
minister  of  the  parish  seems  to  have  been  better  up  in  his 
Bible  than  in  harbour  work,  for  he  concludes  his  notes  on 
the  "  village  "  with  a  remark  to  the  effect  that  the  head  of 
the  river  affords  ''a  safe  and  commodious  harbour."  The 
harbour  was  safe  enough,  but  it  cannot  have  been  very 
commodious.  Somewhere  about  1821  a  small  quay  was 
constructed ;  the  fairway  was  improved  by  removing 
boulders,  mooring  poles  or  buoys  stationed,  and  the 
channel  piled  to  guard  against  sand  choke.  In  a  com- 
paratively few  years  the  quay  was  spoken  of  as  "alto- 
C 


34  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

gether  insufficient  for  the  increasing  trade  of  the  port." 
In  1835,  Leven  had  two  brigs,  carrying  374  tons,  which 
were  chiefly  employed  in  the  American  trade.  There 
were  also  five  sloops  of  188  tons,  which  were  principally 
engaged  in  the  coasting  trade.  In  1835  as  many  as 
fifteen  fairly  large  vessels  arrived  in  the  harbour  with 
cargoes,  and  in  the  same  year  222  small  coasteis  were 
unloaded  at  the  inouth  of  the  Leven.  A  detailed  note  of 
the  imports  and  exports  for  1835  has  happily  been  pre 
served  by  the  Rev.  George  Brewster.  The  details  are 
interesting,  inasmuch  as  they  give  us  a  glimpse  at  the 
kind  of  traffic  which  was  done  at  Leven  about  seventy 
years  ago.  Here  are  Mr  Brewster's  details  : — 

IMPORTS. 

Ashes,  556  barrels    -         -                                     -  £4,170 

Bones,  232  tons         -         -  951 

Wheat,  205  qrs.         ...  410 

Barley,  905  qrs.         -         -  1,244 

Malt,  266  qrs. 638 

Coals,  566  tons 250 

Flax 17,850 

Hemp -         -  7,942 

Herrings,  272  tons 272 

Pigiron,  400  tons      -  2,200 

Rape  cake,  40  tons  -  220 

Stones,  1322  tons      ....                  -  220 

Slates,  105  tons  330 

Timber,  6513  tons 6,513 


£43,190 
EXPORTS. 

Bone  dust,  500  tons  -  -  £3,1  KM  I 

Bricks  and  tiles         -  SO 

Linen  cloth,  !)00  bales       -  ...    18,000 

Castiron,  215  tons    ------     2,580 

1'i^iron,  30  tons        -         -  -         -         ISO 

Ochre,  191  tons 573 

Oats,  (10  qrs.  60 

Potatoes,  2084  bolls  -          -          -          -          780 

\Yhiskv,  .'57l>  puncheons  -  -          -     15, 040 

Yarn,  440  tons  -    20,240 

£60,483 


THE    BURGH    OF    LEVEX. 


35 


Mr  Brewster  says  that  at  spring  tides  in  1835  the 
harbour  admitted  "  vessels  of  300  tons  burden,  but  it  is 
rather  difficult  of  access  owing  to  the  banks  of  sand, 
which  are  frequently  shifting  by  heavy  sea  storms  or 
floods  in  the  river."  By  1876  there  was  a  prospect  that 
history  would  repeat  itself  in  the  district  so  far  as  the 
coal  trade  was  concerned,  and  the  Leven  Harbour  Com- 
pany was  formed  for  the  purpose  of  getting  rid  of  the 
"  banks  of  sand  "  complained  of  by  Mr  Brewster,  and  con- 
structing a  dock  at  the  mouth  <*f  the  Leven. 


Dixton  <fc  Son] 


[Leven 


Leven  Harbour  and  Dubbieside  Links  in  1855. 


The  Company  expended  between  £38,000  and  £40,000, 
and  in  November  1879  the  "Dahlia,"  a  vessel  chartered 
with  coals  from  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  for  Mr  C.  Adamson, 
now  Provost  Adamson,  entered  the  Leven  dock.  At  the 
same  time  coal  had  been  struck  in  the  Leven  pits  by  the 
Fife  Coal  Company,  and  among  a  section  of  the  community 
there  was  the  feeling  that  as  a  shipping  port  Leven  was 


36  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

destined  to  become  a  place  of  considerable  importance. 
The  following  table  shows  the  coals  shipped  from  1880 
to  1887  :— 

Tons.  Tons. 

1880  19,207      1884    -       42,998 

1881  -       31,028      1885    -       41,117 

1882  -       30,229      1886    -       43,493 

1883  -    -    34,116      1887  19,593 

The  shifting  banks  of  sand  which  gave  trouble  to  the 
captains  of  the  small  coasters  in  Mr  Brewster's  time  were 
as  troublesome  after  the  dock  was  opened  as  before,  and 
on  the  Methil  dock  scheme  being  launched  by  Mr  Wemyss 
of  Wemyss  Castle  in  1883,  the  Leven  Harbour  Company 
parted  with  the  property,  which  had  cost  nearly  £40,000, 
for  some  £12,000,  a  sum  which  only  enabled  the  Com- 
pany to  meet  a  debt  which  had  been  incurred  in  connec- 
tion with  recent  works.  The  following  is  a  paragraph  in 
the  "  Order  of  the  sale  and  transfer "  of  the  dock  to  Mr 
Wemyss : — "  Henceforth  the  undertaking  shall  be  main- 
tained, repaired,  and  kept  in  proper  condition,  fit  for  use 
for  all  purposes  for  which  the  same  is  capable  of  being 
used  at  the  time  of  the  passing  of  the  Act  confirming  the 
Order,  and  all  duties  and  obligations  in  reference  to  the 
undertaking  imposed  on  the  Company  by  the  Act  of  1876 
or  the  Order  of  1881  shall  be  performed  and  observed  by 
the  said  R.  G.  E.  Wemyss,  his  heirs,  assignees,  or  succes- 
sors, owners  for  the  time  being  of  the  undertaking,  at  his 
or  their  own  expense."  In  three  shore  years  the  value  of 
an  undertaking  which  had  cost  from  £38,000  to  £10,000 
had  fallen  to  £12,000,  and  within  seven  years  patronage 
had  begun  to  be  drawn  from  the  dock.  In  the  course  of 
time  Methil  dock  was  acquired  by  the  North  British 
Railway  Company,  and  Leven  dock  went  as  part  of  the 
bargain. 


THE    BURGH    OP    LEVEN.  37 

Leven  dock  was  soon  entirely  dropped  out  of  the  view 
of  the  coal  exporter,  the  loading  tips  were  abandoned,  and 
from  1900  to  1904  the  gates  stood  at  the  "  Levynns 
mouth "  silted  up  and  immovable,  presenting  all  the 
appearance  of  the  hulk  of  one  of  the  old  coasters  which 
visited  the  port  four  or  five  times  a  year  when  the  Rev. 
David  Swan  laboured  in  the  parish.  Old  men  hied  them- 
selves to  the  dock  now  and  again  and  spoke  of  other  days. 
They  looked  sorrowfully  on  the  fishing  boats  which  lay 
wintering  in  the  harbour,  puffed  their  pipes  and  peeped 
through  their  binoculars  at  the  steamers  which  were 
steaming  up  the  Forth  for  Methil  and  Burntisland,  and 
which,  under  different  circumstances,  might  have  been 
making  for  the  port  of  Leven.  As  the  steamers  passed 
the  old  men  thought  of  the  many  "  might  have  beens " 
which  appear  and  disappear  in  life's  journey,  and  they 
compared  the  passing  of  the  shipping  trade  of  Leven  to 
the  passing  of  the  handloom.  In  1903,  while  the  old  men 
were  sighing  over  the  prospect  of  Leven  being  blotted  out 
as  a  shipping  port,  the  Kirkcaldy  District  Committee  of 
Fife  County  Council,  acting  on  pressure  from  the  people 
of  Leven,  raised  an  action  against  the  North  British 
Railway  Company  in  Cupar  Sheriff  Court  on  the  plea  that 
the  dock  was  in  an  insanitary  state.  The  Sheriff-Substi- 
tute and  the  Sheriff-Principal  found  that  the  Committee 
had  made  out  a  good  case,  and  asked  the  Railway  Com- 
pany to  carry  out  an  improvement  scheme.  The  im- 
provements were  not  gone  on  with,  and  the  Kirkcaldy 
District  Committee  took  the  matter  in  their  own  hands 
in  the  autumn  of  1904,  and  employed  Messrs  Sang  & 
Lockhart,  engineers,  Kirkcaldy,  to  report  upon  the  work. 
The  engineers  framed  a  scheme  of  improvement  which  in- 
cluded the  erection  of  a  cofferdam  in  front  of  the  silted  up 


38  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

gate,  the  removal  of  mud  at  the  entrance,  and  the  thorough 
overhauling  of  the  caisson.  The  Railway  Company,  while 
all  this  was  going  on,  did  not  attempt  to  obtemper  the 
Sheriffs  decision,  and  the  District  Committee  placed  the 
work  in  the  hands  of  Messrs  J.  &  J.  Farmer  and  Messrs 
Buchan  &  Duncan,  Methil.  The  Company  kicked,  both 
on  Leven  pier  and  in  the  Court  of  Session,  against  the 
forward  policy  of  the  District  Committee ;  but  in  tho 
Court  of  Session  the  Company  got  beaten  for  their  pains, 
and  the  defeat  in  Parliament  House  ended  the  obstruction 
on  Leven  pierhead.  The  contractors  erected  a  cofferdam 
and  repaired  the  dilapidated  caisson,  and  in  March  1905 
the  gate  was  in  working  condition.  The  North  British 
Railway  Company  followed  up  the  work  of  the  contractors 
by  dredging  the  dock,  and  for  the  present  at  least  Leven 
retains  the  description  which  in  guide  books  has  been 
applied  to  it  from  time  immemorial — nauiely,  "  a  shipping 
port  at  the  mouth  of  the  Leven." 

The  Formation  of  a  Police  Burgh. 

The  Rev.  David  Swan  gives  us  the  following  glimpse 
of  Leven  of  1790: — "The  only  village  in  the  parish  is 
Leven,  which  belongs  to  the  barony  of  Durie.  ...  It 
contains  335  families  and  1169  inhabitants.  The  rents 
of  houses  are  from  10s  to  <£S  sterling."  Writing  46  years 
afterwards,  the  Rev.  Dr  Brewster  says  :  — "  The  only  town 
in  the  parish  is  Leven,  with  a  population  of  above  2000. 
It  consists  of  two  principal  streets  running  parallel  to 
each  other,  with  a  variety  of  bye-lanes.  Weaving  of  linen 
is  the  staple  industry  of  the  place,  and  affords  steady  em- 
ployment to  the  inhabitants.  A  board  of  police,  according 
to  the  Act  of  Parliament,  has  been  established  here  for 
some  years,  and  its  labours  are  chiefly  directed  to  the 


THE    BURGH    OP    LEVEN. 


39 


cleaning  and  lighting  of  the  streets  and  supplying  the 
town  with  water."  Acting  on  the  advice  of  the  late  Mr 
Andrew  Wilkie,  banker,  the  inhabitants  adopted  the 


The  First  Chief  /lagistrate. 


General  Police  Act  in  1867.  Mr  Wilkie  was  the  first 
chief  magistrate  of  the  Police  Burgh,  and  he  had  associ- 
ated with  him  another  eight  commissioners.  He  held  office 
for  eleven  years.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr  James  Ander- 
son of  Norton,  who  was  also  at  the  head  of  affairs  for  eleven 
years.  Mr  Alexander  Inglis,  who  held  office  for  one  year, 
followed  ;  Mr  John  White  fulfilled  the  duties  for  fourteen 


40 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE   AND    WEMYSS. 


years,  and  the  present  Provost,  Mr  Christopher  Adamson, 
was  elected  in  1903.  Mr  A.  C.  Dewar  was  elected  Town 
Clerk  of  the  burgh  in  1890,  and  continues  to  hold  office. 
The  following  table  shows  the  years  for  which  the  respec- 
tive chief  magistrates  held  office  :  — 


Andrew  Wilkie 
James  Anderson 
Alexander  Inglis    - 
John  White   - 

Christopher  Adamson 


April  1869  to  April  1878 

April  1878  to  Nov.   1888 

Nov.  1888  to  Nov.   1889 

Nov.  1889  to  Nov.  1903 

/Appointed  Nov.  1903  and 

\  continues  in  office  (1905) 


The  present  Provost. 


THE    BURGH    OF    LEVEX. 


41 


In  1755  Leven  had  a  population  of  1100  souls,  and 
hero  is  a  table  showing  the  population  for  each  decade 
since  1841  :— 


1841 
1851 
1861 
1871 


1827 
2083 
2739 
2501 


1881 
1891 
1901 


3067 
3998 
5577 


In  1860,  Farnie,  the  writer  of  the  "Handbook  of  the  Fife 
Coast,"  predicted  great  things  for  Leven.  He  says  : — 
"  Perhaps  no  other  town  possesses  in  so  great  degree  the 
elements  of  future  prosperity.  For  we  shall  soon  find  the 
manufacture  and  trade  of  the  Leven  district  are  very  con- 
siderable ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  its  situation  is  not  to 
be  surpassed  for  a  watering  place."  Farnie's  predictions 
as  to  manufactures  have  scarcely  been  realised,  and  Lundin 
Links  has  come  into  severe  competition  with  Leven  as  a 
wateiing  place. 

Leven  Cross  and  the  Burgh  Arms. 


The  cross,  which  stands  on  a  site  within  the  grounds 
of  the  Greig  Institute,  bears  the  following  inscription  : — 

"LEVEN  CROSS, 

Formerly  on  Carpenter's  Brae ;    removed   1767  ;  restore*!  and  re- 
erected  by  James  Anderson  of  Norton — 1889." 

The  cross  takes  the  form  of  a  sundial.       The  dial-making 


42  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

period  commenced  in  1623,  and  the  Leven  cross  was  un- 
doubtedly erected  at  the  top  of  Carpenter's  Brae  between 
that  year  and  the  year  1700.  There  is  no  authentic  notice 
of  the  cross  to  be  found,  however,  until  1767.  Durie 
House  was  burned  down  in  1762,  and  the  proprietor,  John 
Gibson,  took  up  his  abode  in  a  house  in  High  Street. 
Durie  died  in  1767,  and  the  cross  was  found  to  be  such  an 
obstruction  to  the  funeral  procession  that  the  authorities 
of  the  old  burgh  of  barony  ordered  its  removal.  The  cross 
of  Leven  then  drops  out  of  sight,  and  is  not  again  heard  of 
until  1889.  One  day,  in  the  autumn  of  that  year,  when 
some  masons  were  engaged  in  the  work  of  taking  down  a 
wall  at  the  entrance  to  a  house  near  the  Greig  Institute, 
they  came  upon  some  marked  stories.  The  stones  found 
were  pronounced  to  be  part  of  the  seventeenth  century 
structure  which  stood  at  the  top  of  the  Carpenter's  Brae. 
Mr  James  Anderson,  who  had  a  great  love  for  the  Leven 
of  other  days,  was  amongst  the  residents  who  examined 
the  find,  and  he  at  once  placed  the  work  of  restoring  the 
cross  in  the  hands  of  Messrs  Andrew  &,  A.  C.  Dewar, 
architects.  Messrs  Dewar  consulted  Mr  Thomas  Ross, 
Edinburgh,  the  well-known  authority  on  antiquarian  sub- 
jects, and  he  produced  a  sketch  of  a  dial  which  stood  at 
Kelburn,  Ayrshire,  which  seemed  to  resemble  the  Leven 
obelisk  cross.  The  work  of  reconstruction  on  the  Kelburn 
model  was  accordingly  proceeded  with,  and  in  May  1889 
the  cross  was  unveiled  with  some  ceremony.  A  use  was 
made  of  the  cross  in  the  design  of  the  burgh  arms.  The 
galley  in  chief  of  the  arms  reminds  one  of  the  maritime 
nature  of  the  town,  and  recalls  the  fact  that  from  time 
immemorial  Leven  has  been  a  seaport  town.  The  object 
in  the  base  of  the  arms  is  a  representation  of  the  cross. 
The  late  Marquis  of  Bute,  in  his  "Arms  of  the  Baronial 


THE    BURGH    OF    LEVEN.  43 

and  Police  Burghs  of  Scotland,"  writes  of  the  cross  as  a 
"  monument,"  and  says  that  although  it  may  have  been 
an  adaptation  of,  or  substitute  for,  an  original  cross,  it  is 
now  a  sundial  of  the  same  class  as  those  found  at  Drum- 
mond  Castle  and  elsewhere  in  Scotland. 

The  Churches. 

The  members  of  several  Praying  Societies  in  Leven, 
Dubbieside,  and  district  met  in  the  spring  of  1738  in 
conference  in  the  hope  of  devising  a  scheme  through  which 
they  might  combine  and  do  more  effective  work.  In  May 
of  the  same  year  the  societies  resolved  to  cast  in  their  lot 
with  the  Associate  Presbytery,  and  they  attached  them- 
selves to  the  Dissenting  Church  at  Abbotshall,  and  ulti- 
mately joined  the  Dissenters  at  Ceres.  It  is  interesting 
to  keep  in  mind  that  the  combined  meeting  was  held  at 
Leven  or  Dubbieside  just  four  and  a  half  short  years  after 
the  ''Four  Brethren,"  headed  by  Ebenezer  Erskine,  met 
at  Gairney  Bridge  and  constituted  themselves  a  Presbytery 
apart  from  the  judicatories  of  the  Established  Church ; 
two  years  before  Ralph  Erskine  formally  united  himself 
to  the  four  Dissenting  ministers,  and  five  years  before 
Ralph  Erskine  and  seven  other  ministers  were  deposed 
by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Church  of  Scotland. 
While  protesting  against  patronage  and  other  vagaries  in 
the  Established  Church,  the  Dissenters  of  the  parish  of 
Scoonie  did  not  comport  themselves  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  indicate  that  wisdom  would  die  with  them.  The  Rev. 
David  Swan,  the  minister  of  the  Kirk  of  Scoonie,  writing 
in  1790  of  the  Dissenters  of  Scoonie,  says  : — 

"  Such  as  separate  from  the  ^Established  Church  have  little  of 
that  reserve  or  moroseness  which  is  the  general  characteristic  of 
separatists  of  almost  all  denominations." 


44 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


ST    JOHN  S    UNITED    FREE    CHURCH. 


The  Dissenters  of  Leven  and  Dubbieside  met  for  a 
good  many  years  at  Kirkcaldy  and  Ceres,  and  ultimately 
at  Dubbieside ;  but  early  in  the  nineteenth  century  a 
feeling  seems  to  have  arisen  that  an  effort  might  be  made 
to  open  a  Dissenting  church  in  Leven.  A  question  was 
raised  as  to  whether  an  Associate  or  a  Relief  Church 
should  be  opened,  and  opinion  seems  to  have  favoured  the 
Relief.  So  in  1830,  seventy -eight  years  after  Thomas 
Gillespie  was  driven  from  the  Established  Church  over  a 
question  of  patronage  at  Inverkeithing,  and  founded  the 


THE    BURG II    OF    LEVEN.  45 

Relief  Church,  we  find  the  Dissenters  of  Leven  meeting 
with  the  Relief  ministers  of  Kettle  and  Dysarfc  and  re- 
solving to  rent  the  Gardeners'  Hall  as  a  temporary  place 
of  worship.  Services  were  opened  in  September  1830,  and 
in  March  1831  a  petition  was  presented  by  202  people  to 
the  Presbytery  of  Dysart  asking  regular  supply  of  sermon. 
The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  petition  : — 

Leven,  22nd  February  1831. 

To  the  Rev.  the  Relief  Presbyter\r,  Dysart,  to  meet  at  Auchter- 
muchty,  on  Thursday,  the  eighth  day  of  March  1831. 
The  petition  of  the  undersigned  inhabitants  of  the  town 
of  Leven  and  its  vicinity 

Humbly  sheweth, 

That  in  consequence  of  the  state  of  the  popula- 
tion as  compared  with  that  of  the  church  accommodation  and  other 
causes,  which  your  petitioners  need  not  enumerate,  there  has  for  a 
considerable  period  been  a  prevalent  wish  for  the  formation  of  a 
new  congregation  on  Presbyterian  principles  in  the  town  of  Leven. 
Your  petitioners  have  much  pleasure  in  further  stating  that,  in 
obedience  to  this  prevailing  wish,  they  have  been  favoured  with 
the  personal  services  of  several  members  of  your  revd.  Courts,  who 
have  preached  in  Leven  and  conversed  with  your  petitioners  from 
time  to  time,  with  the  services  of  probationers  belonging  to  the 
Relief  body.  Your  petitioners  further  beg  to  state  that,  approving 
of  the  distinguishing  principles  of  the  Relief  as  a  Presbyterian 
Dissenting  body,  and  encouraged  by  those  members  of  your  revd. 
Courts  with  whom  they  have  conversed,  and  whose  services  they 
have  enjoyed,  they  are  desirous  of  being  received  under  the  in- 
spection and  superintendence  of  your  revd.  Presbytery  as  a  forming 
congregation  in  connection  witli  the  Relief  body.  Your  petitioners 
may  also  further  state  that  they  are  provided  at  present  with  a 
large  and  convenient  place  for  public  worship  and  other  accommo- 
dation which  may  be  necessary  in  the  event  of  their  petition  being 
granted.  They  have  likewise  appointed  Messrs  Peter  Keddie  and 
A.  Ballingall  as  commissioners  to  lay  this  petition  before  your  revd. 
Court,  and  to  give  all  proper  information  respecting  their  present 
circumstances  and  future  prospects. 


46  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

May  it  therefore  please  your  revd.  Court  to  take  this  petition 
into  your  serious  consideration,  and  your  petitioners  will  ever 
pray. 

Then  follow  202  signatures,  the  name  of  Alex.  Ballingall, 
the  preses,  taking  precedence.  In  terms  of  the  petition, 
regular  supply  of  sermon  was  granted,  and  in  1831-2  a 
Church  was  built  in  Viewforth  Square,  at  the  back  of  the 
old  salt  works.  Sittings  were  provided  for  as  many  as 
650  worshippers.  Having  had  the  church  in  Viewforth 
Square  opened,  and  all  the  organisations  of  a  well-appointed 
church  set  in  motion,  the  members  of  the  Relief  Church 
met  in  July  1833  and  asked  the  Presbytery  for  power  to 
call  a  minister.  The  names  of  four  ministers  were  sub- 
mitted. Some  little  division  was  experienced  over  the 
choice,  but  there  was  a  clear  majority  all  through  for  the 
Rev.  James  Vallance,  of  Paisley,  and  he  was  ordained  to 
the  pastorate  of  the  church  on  19th  February  1834.  The 
stipend  was  .£90  a  year,  and  the  salary  attached  to  the 
precentorship  was  £'2.  Within  eleven  years  of  his  being 
ordained  to  the  Dissenting  charge  of  Leven,  Mr  Vallance 
went  over  to  the  Established  Church,  and  became  minister 
of  Tinwald,  Dumfriesshire. 

Human  nature  was  very  much  in  1845 — when  Mr  Val- 
lance resigned — what  it  is  to-day.  The  minority  who  were 
opposed  to  his  being  brought  from  Paisley  to  the  "  King- 
dom "  claimed  the  turn  things  had  taken  as  a  complete 
vindication  of  their  position.  Happily  any  feeling  which 
existed  was  soon  got  over,  however,  and  all  sections  of  the 
congregation  agreed  to  try  to  make  a  call  to  the  second 
minister  of  the  Relief  Church  a  unanimous  one.  Early  in 
the  autumn  of  1846  a  call  was  given  to  the  Rev.  John 
Mitchell,  of  St  Ninians.  Mr  Mitchell  was  under  call  at 
the  same  time  to  Annan,  but  he  accepted  Leven,  and 


THE    BUHGH    OF    LEVEN. 


47 


was  ordained  ou  8th  September  1846.  The  union  of  the 
Secession  and  the  Relief  Churches  was  then  being  dis- 
cussed throughout  the  country,  and  it  is  interesting  to 
note  that  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  Session  over  which 
Mr  Mitchell  presided  the  "Basis  of  Union  "  was  discussed 
and  unanimously  assented  to.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the 
Session  held  after  the  Union  (which  took  place  in  1847) 
they  "agreed  to  record  their  joy  at  that  event,  and  to 
implore  the  Divine  blessing  on  the  deed  of  these  two  de- 
nominations, and  the  assistance  of  the  spirit  of  wisdom 
and  peace  in  all  their  future  deliberations." 

Mr  Mitchell  went  to  Kirkintilloch  on  April  1854,  and 
he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  John  S.  Hyslop,  from  Urr, 
who  was  ordained  to  the  charge  on  26th  June  1855.  After 
a  long,  honoured,  and  fruitful  ministry,  Mr  Hyslop  retired 
from  active  duty  on  17th  May  1887.  A  memorial  window 
in  the  Church  bears  the  following  inscription : — 

"  Erected  in  loving  memory  of  the  Rev.  John  S.  Hyslop  by  the 
members  of  this  congregation,  who  desire  to  acknowledge  his  long 
and  faithful  services  in  the  Christian  ministry." 

The  Rev.  John  Reid  came  next ;  and  then  followed 
the  Rev.  Adam  Shaw,  who  was  ordained  on  27th  January 
1889.  In  less  than  four  years  Mr  Shaw  accepted  a  call  to 
Glasgow,  and  on  13th  April  1893  the  Rev.  W.  J.  Patter- 
son, the  present  pastor,  was  ordained  to  the  charge.  Mr 
Patterson  was  educated  in  Edinburgh,  and  on  leaving  the 
Hall  took  up  duty  as  an  assistant  in  the  city  of  Perth. 
The  congregation  at  the  end  of  1904  numbered  355.  At 
the  union  witli  the  Free  Church  in  1900,  the  congregation 
took  the  name  of  St  John's,  so  that  the  name  of  the  Rev. 
John  Hyslop,  who  was  instrumental  in  raising  a  consider- 
able portion  of  the  funds  required  in  connection  with  the 
church  of  1870,  might  be  kept  green  amongst  them. 


48  RAMBLES    IN    8COONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

THE    FOBMAN    UNITED    FREE    CHURCH. 

This  church  was  one  of  those  which  came  into  existence 
in  connection  with  the  Disruption  of  1843.  The  Rev. 
George  Brewster,  the  minister  of  Scoonie  Kirk,  inclined 
to  the  ideas  of  the  Moderates  rather  than  to  the  policy  of 
Dr  Chalmers,  and  he  remained  in  the  Establishment.  The 
majority  of  the  Session,  including  the  Laird  of  Duric  (Mr 
C.  M.  Christie),  quitted  the  church,  however,  and  they  had 
with  them  a  large  following.  A  site  for  a  church  was 
granted  by  the  Laird  of  Durie,  and  such  was  the  amount 
of  enthusiasm  shown  that  by  December  1843  the  building, 
which  has  since  been  transformed  and  utilised  as  the  Town 
Hall,  was  opened.  In  January  1844  the  Rev.  Adam 
Forman  was  called  from  Innerwick.  Mr  Forman  was  one 
of  the  ministers  who  left  the  Establishment,  and  who, 
l»ecause  he  could  not  find  shelter  in  his  old  parish,  was 
compelled  to  move  to  the  neighbouring  town  of  Dunbar. 
He  preached  on  the  "  face  of  a  brae  "  near  Innerwick  for 
some  months  to  a  numerous  flock,  and  as  the  cold  weather 
came  on  was  driven  to  a  wooden  erection.  It  was  while 
conducting  services  in  the  wooden  building  on  the  "brae 
side  "  of  Innerwick  that  he  received  a  call  to  Leven.  He 
accepted  the  call,  and  toiled  long  and  faithfully  in  the 
parish.  His  biographer  tells  us  that  he  laboured  "  among 
high  and  low,  among  rich  and  poor,  with  unceasing  earnest- 
ness." He  made  Home  Mission  work  a  special  feature, 
and  under  his  ministry  the  "  Salt  Girnel "  of  Methil  was 
fitted  up  as  a  place  of  meeting.  The  Rev.  P.  MacAinsh 
was  one  of  the  missionaries  who  laboured  under  Mr  Forman 
at  Methil.  Mr  Forman  died  in  1865.  A  marble  tablet 
erected  in  the  church  bears  the  following  inscription  : — 

"In  memory  of  the  Rev.  Adam  Forman,  M.A.,  minister  of 
Innerwick  from  1824  to  1843,  and  of  the  Free  Church,  Leven,  from 


THE    BURGH    OP    LEVKtf.  49 

1844  to  March  29th,  1865,  when  he  was  suddenly  taken  to  his  rest, 
in  the  71st  year  of  his  age.  His  high  talents  and  strong  affections, 
sanctified  and  regulated  by  divine  grace,  were  finely  developed, 
both  in  his  public  and  private  ministrations,  while  his  profound 
humility,  Christian  manliness,  and  generous  sympathy  won  for 
him  the  esteem  and  reverence  of  his  flock  and  of  all  who  knew 
him." 


Mayor]  Forman  U.  F.  Church.  [Leuen 

As  a  tribute  to  his  memory,  the  congregation  at  the 
Union  named  the  church  the  Foruian  United  Free  Church. 
Since  the  Union,  the  surviving  members  of  his  family  have 
presented  a  baptismal  font  to  the  congregation  in  memory 


50  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

of  their  mother.  Mr  Forman  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
Donald  Fergusson,  who  came  from  the  pretty  village  of 
Doune.  He  had  not  been  a  year  in  Leven  when  the 
cholera  scourge  of  1866  broke  out.  Mr  Fergusson  was 
unsparing  in  his  labours  among  the  sick  and  the  dying  in 
Leven  and  neighbourhood,  and  by  the  older  residents  of 
the  parish  and  district  his  work  is  spoken  of  to  this  day 
in  language  which  impresses  one  with  the  feeling  that  he 
must  have  been  as  gentle  among  the  sufferers  as  the 
"  nurse  who  cherisheth  her  own  children." 

Mr  Fergusson  maintained  the  traditions  of  the  church 
for  Home  Mission  work,  and  it  was  principally  through 
his  exertions  that  the  Free  Church  in  Buckhaven,  now  St 
Andrew's  TJnited  Free  Church,  was  opened.  Indifferent 
health  compelled  Mr  Fergusson  to  retire  from  active  duty 
in  1881,  and  a  colleague  and  successor  was  called  in  the 
person  of  the  Rev.  J.  J.  Mackay,  who  was  very  zealous 
and  successful  in  evangelistic  and  temperance  work.  Mr 
Mackay  was  translated  to  Glasgow  in  1884,  and  he  was 
succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Hugh  Y.  Reyburn.  Mr  Reyburn 
laboured  without  stint  and  without  ceasing  in  Mcthil,  and 
during  his  incumbency  a  separate  congregation  was  formed 
in  the  now  famous  East  Coast  coal  shipping  port,  with  the 
Rev.  Robert  Francis  at  its  head.  The  history  of  the  Buck- 
haven  (St  Andrew's)  and  Methil  churches  gives  the  Leven 
Forman  Church  a  title  to  the  name  of  a  "  mother  of 
churches."  Mr  Reyburn  went  to  Kirkintilloch  in  1893, 
and  the  Rev.  Hugh  Elder  was  then  called.  Mr  Fergusson 
died  in  1897.  Mr  Elder  has  been  a  strong  advocate  of 
the  Union  all  through,  and  so  loyally  was  he  supported  by 
the  office-bearers  and  the  congregation  that  the  Forman 
Church  was  at  an  early  stage  removed  from  the  list  of 
churches  claimed  by  the  Free  Church  officials. 


THE    BURGH    OP    LEVEN.  51 

The  church  erected  in  1843  cost  £766  13s  5d,  and  pro- 
vided sittings  for  750  people.  As  many  as  500  sittings 
were  let  the  week  before  the  church  was  opened.  In  the 
closing  days  of  the  fifties  a  movement  was  set  on  foot  for 
a  new  church,  and  in  1861  the  present  building  in  Durie 
Street  was  opened,  the  cost  being  £3242  18s  6d.  In  1900 
the  building  was  renovated  at  a  cost  of  £572  13s  5d.  The 
congregation  is  happy  in  having  a  splendid  hall  for  Sunday 
school  and  other  work.  The  building  was  erected  by  the 
late  Mr  David  Bain,  and  was  fitted  and  furnished  by  the 
congregation  at  a  combined  cost  of  nearly  £11 00. 

s.  MARGARET'S  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

S.  Margaret's  Church,  which  is  dedicated  to  the  saintly 
Queen  of  Scotland,  had  its  origin  in  missionary  work 
which  was  taken  up  at  Lundin  Links.  The  work  was 
commenced  on  12th  March  1861.  In  December  1862  it 
was  agreed  to  make  Leven  the  headquarters  of  the  mission, 
and  on  Christmas  day  of  that  year  the  work  was  taken  up 
in  the  Gardeners'  Hall,  Murray  Place.  The  work  flourished 
to  such  an  extent  that  ultimately  the  Rev.  W.  Prosser  was 
appointed  Rector.  Mr  Prosser  laboured  in  the  district 
until  May  1870,  and  then  came  the  Rev.  W.  E.  Hall, 
whose  first  work  in  Leven  was  the  Christmas  service  of 
1870,  and  who  remained  in  the  district  until  1876.  The 
mission  was  erected  into  an  incumbency,  with  Mr  Hall  as 
incumbent,  on  September  15th  1872.  Mr  Hall  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  J.  Thomson,  who  took  up  work  on 
March  llth,  1877,  and  who  held  the  post  until  September 
1886. 

S.  Margaret's  Church  was  erected  during  Mr  Thom- 
son's incumbency.  The  church,  which  was  a  handsome 
addition  to  the  ecclesiastical  architecture  of  the  burgh, 


52 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


was  consecrated  by  Bishop  Wordsworth  in  August  1881. 
The  building,  which  was  erected  from  plans  prepared  by 
Messrs  Matthews  ct  Mackenzie,  Aberdeen,  cost  £1700. 
This  total  does  not  include  the  belfry-tower,  which  was  a 
gift  of  Sir  Henry  Gibson  Carmichael  of  Skirling.  Sir 
Henry  wrote  to  the  Vestry  recalling  the  feeling  of  affection 
which  his  late  father  had  had  for  the  "  home  of  his  child- 
hood, Durie."  "Wishing  that  "  the  family  connections  with 


J.  Patrick] 


S.  Margaret's  Episcopal  Church. 


[Edinburgh 


the  parish  of  Scoonie  should  not  bo  forgotten,"  Sir  Henry 
asked  that  he  should  be  allowed  to  erect  a  belfry-tower  to 
the  church,  "as  a  memorial  of  his  ancestors,  the  Gibsons 
of  Durie."  He  suggested  that  the  tower  might  be  called 
"  The  Gibson-Carmichael  Tower."  The  offer  was  accepted, 
the  tower  was  built,  and  for  all  time  coming  it  will  be 
known  as  the  "  Gibson-Carmichael  Tower  of  »S.  Margaret's 


THE    BURGH    OF    LEVEN.  53 

Church."  The  Rev.  A.  Thomson  Grant  succeeded  Mr 
Thomson  in  September  1886.  Mr  Grant  is  well  known 
throughout  Scotland  as  an  authority  on  antiquarian  sub- 
jects, and  before  long  we  hope  to  see  him  give  the  results 
of  his  bibliographical  studies  to  the  reading  public.  Mr  Grant 
went  to  Wemyss  Castle  in  1900,  and  was  succeeded  by  the 
present  incumbent,  the  Rev.  James  W.  Harper.  Mr 
Harper  is  a  native  of  Aberdeen.  He  graduated  M.A. 
with  honours  at  the  University  of  the  Granite  City.  A 
rector}'  and  a  church-room  have  been  erected  since  the 
church  was  opened,  and  all  the  buildings  are  nicely 
grouped. 

Some  of  the  stones  used  in  building  the  church  came 
from  Burntisland.  The  Rev.  George  Hay  Forbes,  a  son 
of  Lord  Medwyn,  and  a  brother  of  Bishop  Forbes,  of 
Brechin,  for  many  years  incumbent  of  the  Episcopalian 
Church  at  Burntisland,  began  to  build  a  church  at  his  own 
expense.  He  could  only  allow  a  certain  sum  annually 
towards  the  cost  of  the  fabric,  and  at  his  death  in  1875 
the  walls  were  only  a  few  feet  high.  But  a  baptistry  had 
been  completed  in  which  he  celebrated  holy  communion. 
A  friend  informs  the  writer  that  on  a  visit  paid  to  Mr 
Forbes  forby  years  ago,  one  mason  and  a  labourer  were 
employed  on  the  fabric,  and  the  latter  acted  as  coachman 
when  Mr  Forbes  took  a  drive.  It  would  have  taken  half 
a  century  to  finish  the  church.  After  Mr  Forbes'  death, 
the  North  British  Railway  Company,  requiring  more- 
ground,  bought  the  rood  on  which  the  church  was  building, 
and  the  congregation  at  Leven  secured  the  stories  for  S. 
Margaret's  Clmreh.  Mr  Forbes  was  one  of  the  most 
learned  men  in  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  had  a  printing 
press  (the  Pitsligo  Press),  from  which  he  issued  a  number 
of  learned  works. 


54  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

THE    BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

Leven  Baptist  congregation  was  formed  in  1893.  The 
Rev.  Alexander  Pigott  was  the  first  pastor,  and  it  was 
chiefly  through  his  exertions  that  the  iron  church  was 
erected  in  Forth  Street.  He  laboured  in  Leven  until 
1900,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  city  of  Dundee.  Mr 
Pigott  is  a  great  lover  of  books  of  historical  interest,  and 
has  rendered  a  distinct  service  to  the  county.  He  has  a 
splendid  collection  of  Fife  books,  and  we  hope  to  see  the 
day  when  some  bibliographist  will  acquire  by  purchase 
his  collection  bearing  on  Fife  and  hand  the  works  over 
to  some  library  in  the  "Kingdom."  On  31st  March  1901 
the  Rev.  John  Dickie  was  ordained  to  the  Leven  charge. 
Mr  Dickie  is  a  native  of  Kelso,  and  studied  in  London. 
The  building  in  which  the  congregation — numbering  about 
200 — worships  is  a  temporary  one,  being  constructed  of 
iron,  and  the  congregation  look  forward  to  the  day  when 
they  will  be  able  to  face  the  cost  of  a  permanent 
building. 

The  Qreig  Institute. 

The  Greig  Institute,  which  stands  in  the  centre  of  a 
plot  of  ground  off  Forth  Street,  was  formally  opened  on 
14th  July  1874.  The  history  of  the  Institute  is  easily  told. 
In  1871  the  old  United  Presbyterian  Church,  which  was  in 
Viewforth  Square,  came  into  the  market,  and  at  a  meeting 
of  several  public  -  spirited  gentlemen,  including  Messrs 
Andrew  Wilkie,  D.  Nicoll,  James  Anderson,  J.  H.  Smith, 
and  Dr  Lyall,  it  was  agreed  to  acquire  the  building  and  to 
set  it  aside  for  the  public  as  a  "People's  Institute."  Mr 
Thomas  Greig  of  Glencarse,  Perthshire,  who  was  a  son  of 
Mr  Thomas  Greig,  of  Leven,  whose  remains  lie  in  Scoonie 


THE    BURGH    OP    LEVEN.  55 

cemetery,  was  among  the  gentlemen  approached  for  a  sub- 
scription towards  the  purchase  price  and  the  cost  of  recon- 
structing the  old  church  as  an  Institute.  Mr  Greig  was 
enamoured  with  the  idea  of  providing  a  building  for  re- 
creation and  educative  purposes.  He  thought,  however, 
that  the  gentlemen  at  the  head  of  the  movement  might  do 
better  than  to  fit  up  the  old  church.  He  had  two  gardens 
in  Leven,  and  if  the  committee  cared  he  would  hand  over 
the  ground  as  a  gift  to  the  community,  and  would  contri- 
bute £500  towards  the  cost  of  a  new  building.  The  idea 
was  taken  up  with  great  heartiness,  the  old  church  was 
resold,  and  the  building,  which  is  known  as  the  Greig 
Institute,  erected  at  a  cost  of  £2000.  The  following 
inscription,  which  is  above  the  main  entrance  to  the 
building,  gives  the  history  of  the  movement  in  a  nut- 
shell :— 

"  The  Greig  Institute,  Leven.  Foundation  stone  laid  on  18th 
July  1872,  by  Thomas  Greig,  Esq.  Institute  formally  opened  on 
14th  July  1874.  Cost  of  building  £2000.  Architect,  Andrew 
Heiton,  of  Perth.  Principal  promoters — Thomas  Greig,  Esq.  of 
Gleiicarse,  £1000  and  the  site  ;  Captain  Christie  of  Durie,  £225 ; 
Alex.  Balfour  of  Mount  Alyn,  Cheshire,  £350,  of  which  £100  was 
applied  to  the  library. 

In  the  reading-room  there  is  an  excellent  painting  in 
oil  of  Mr  Greig,  who  was  born  in  1801  and  died  in  1884. 
The  Institute  has  been  a  blessing  to  the  burgh  of  Leven. 
The  community  is  partly  industrial,  and  for  years  at  least 
one  room  of  the  Institute  has  been  utilised  for  technical 
education  classes,  with  results  which  have  been  extremely 
satisfactory.  The  Rev.  George  Brewster,  writing  in  1836, 
tells  us  that  a  subscription  library,  with  about  650  volumes 
in  circulation,  had  been  in  operation  for  many  years,  while 
there  was  a  juvenile  collection  of  books  connected  with  the 


56  RAMBLES    IN    SCOON1E    AND    WKMYSS. 

Sunday  School.  There  was  also  a  Mechanics'  Institution, 
with  a  respectable  library  belonging  to  it.  The  books 
have  been  brought  together  in  the  Greig  Institute,  and  in 
the  building  the  people  of  Leven  have  now  a  library  of 
which  they  are  justly  proud.  Through  the  kindness  of 
Mr  James  Coates,  jun.,  of  Paisley,  many  new  volumes 
were  added  to  the  library  in  the  spring  of  1905. 

The  Banks  and  some  other  Buildings. 

There  are  branches  of  the  Royal,  the  National,  the 
Commercial,  and  the  British  Linen  Banks  in  Leven,  the 
businesses  being  conducted  in  spacious  buildings.  Within 
the  past  half  century  great  changes  have  been  made  in  the 
shops,  externally  and  internally.  Artists  and  antiquarians 
who  delight  in  red  roofs  and  crow-stepped  gables  may  sigh 
over  the  disappearance  of  old  architectural  links  with  the 
past,  but  most  people  will  be  inclined  to  think  that  the 
shops  and  the  dwellings  of  the  modern  street  are  more  com- 
fortable for  doing  business  in  or  for  residing  in  than  the 
low-roofed  structures  of  the  olden  time.  There  are  three 
hotels  in  the  burgh  namely  —  the  Caledonian  in  High 
Street  and  Mitchell  Street,  the  Star  in  North  Street,  and 
the  Station  Temperance  at  the  railway  station.  There  are 
some  delightful  villas  on  the  links.  One  of  the  oldest  and 
certainly  one  of  the  most  interesting  pieces  of  old  Leven 
which  is  to  clay  intact,  and  which  is  the  delight  of  anti- 
quarian visitors,  is  undoubtedly  the  property  in  High 
Street  which  belongs  to  the  representatives  of  the  late  Mi- 
Thomas  Porter,  and  which  is  occupied  by  Mr  Gourlay, 
bookseller.  With  its  red  roof  and  its  crown-stepped  gables 
the  property  makes  a  picturesque  corner.  In  the  days 
when  Leven  was  a  small  village  it  was  a  striking  building; 
it  remains  a  quaint  piece  of  architecture  still. 


THE    BURGH    OP    LEVKN.  57 

The  Bridging  of  the  Leven. 

In  1790  there  was  no  bridge  across  the  Leven  nearer 
than  Cameron,  quite  two  miles  up  the  water,  and  the  Rev. 
David  Swan,  writing  in  that  year  under  the  heading 
"  Disadvantages,"  thus  points  out  the  inconveniences  ex- 
perienced : — 

"It  is  a  considerable  inconvenience  to  this  parish  that  there  is 
no  bridge  upon  the  Leven  nearer  than  Cameron.  But  there  are 
two  good  fords  in  the  neighbourhood,  always  passable  except  in 
high  floods,  or  for  an  hour  or  two  at  high  water  during  springtides, 
and  near  the  town  there  is  also  a  coble  or  boat  for  passengers.  It 
is  likewise  a  very  great  inconvenience,  not  only  to  the  parish  but 
to  travellers  in  general,  that  there  is  no  bridge  over  Scoonie  river 
upon  the  great  turnpike  road  to  the  east  coast.  The  water  is  often 
engorged  with  such  banks  of  ice  upon  each  side  that  there  is  no 
passage  for  carriages,  but  with  manifest  danger.  Though  in  sum- 
mer it  is  almost  dry,  yet  the  water  sometimes  rises  to  such  a  height 
as  not  to  be  fordable  with  safety.  Some  years  ago  a  farmer  and  his 
wife  attempting  to  cross  on  horseback  were  carried  a  considerable 
way  down  the  stream  ;  the  woman  not  less  than  400  or  500  yards. 
Had  they  not  been  seen  and  opportunely  seized  by  the  people  in 
the  neighbourhood,  both  of  them  must  inevitably  have  perished. 
It  is  to  be  hoped,  for  the  credit  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  district, 
that  this  inconveniency  will  soon  be  remedied." 

Despite  the  dangers  of  a  roaring  river  in  spates,  and 
the  "  inconveniency,''  as  Mr  Swan  puts  it,  to  the  general 
public,  the  "gentlemen  of  the  district"  did  not  see  fit  to 
take  the  hint  to  connect  the  parishes  of  Scoonie  and 
Wernyss  by  a  bridge,  and  the  eighteenth  century  was 
allowed  to  pass  into  history  to  leave  the  people  with  no 
other  alternative  but  to  wade  through  the  ford  where  the 
sawmills  now  stand,  cross  at  Dubbieside  ferry,  or  hie  them- 
selves to  the  Bassmill  Bridge  at  Cameron,  a  structure 
which  was  erected  by  Earl  David  of  Wemyss  in  1665  "for 
the  greater  sale  of  his  Methil  coal."  The  ferry  belonged 
to  the  Durie  family,  and  was  for  many  years  farmed  out 


58  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

to  a  boatman  for  a  yearly  rental.  Passengers  were  taken 
across  the  river  in  a  coble  from  Dossie  Bay  to  Dubbieside 
for  one  halfpenny — one  penny  return.  The  Kirkcaldy  road 
was  in  a  wretched  condition,  and  at  each  side  of  the  river 
at  the  ford  horses  and  vehicles  and  cattle  often  stood  in 
great  numbers  waiting  until  the  tide  had  ebbed  sufficiently 
to  admit  of  a  passage.  In  spates  the  fording  of  the  river 
was  extremely  dangerous,  and  the  mail  coaches  went  daily 
to  Kirkcaldy  by  Windygates.  In  1821,  a  joint  stock 
company  leased  the  ferry  from  Durie  and  erected  a  suspen- 
sion bridge  across  the  river,  from  Dossie  Bay  to  Dubbie- 
side, for  foot  passengers.  The  bridge  cost  .£500,  and 
the  capital  was  raised  in  shares  of  10s  6d  each.  On  the 
opening  of  the  structure  the  ferryman,  Davie  Finlay,  and 
his  coble  were  dispensed  with,  and  the  Company  paid  a 
dividend  on  the  capital  expenditure  by  exacting  a  modest 
halfpenny  from  each  person  who  crossed.  The  pontage  in 
1835  was  .£85.  The  foot  bridge  was  of  no  use  for 
vehicular  traffic,  and  writing  in  1836  the  Rev.  Dr 
Brewster  says  : — 

"  The  want  of  a  carriage  bridge  over  the  river  at  the  town  of 
Leven  has  been  much  felt.  This  much  desired  improvement,  how- 
ever, is  in  contemplation,  and  it  is  hoped  will  soon  be  carried  into 
execution." 

Just  three  years  after  Dr  Brewster  had  thus  written  of 
the  river  difficulties,  a  few  public-spirited  gentlemen  sub- 
scribed the  necessary  funds,  and  obtained  an  Act  of 
Parliament  incorporating  them  as  a  Road  and  Bridge 
Trust,  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  stone  bridge  over  the 
Leven  and  improving  the  wretched  statute-labour  road  to 
Kirkcaldy.  The  present  stone  bridge  was  built  in  1840, 
and  the  parishes  of  Scoonie  and  Weiuyss  were  linked 
together.  With  the  opening  of  the  stone  bridge,  the 


THE    BURGH    OF    LEVEN.  59 

suspension  bridge,  like  the  ferry  boat,  was  withdrawn,  and 
the  old  ford,  where  on  many  a  wild  night  exciting  scenes 
had  taken  place,  was  discarded  and  soon  became  as  little 
known  to  the  drivers  of  vehicles  as  the  river  Leven  is 
to-day  to  the  salmon  which  annually  hie  themselves  up  the 
silvery  Forth.  The  people  of  the  forties  were  proud  of 
their  new  bridge,  and  from  the  day  of  opening  until  the 
abolition  of  the  tolls  on  the  public  highways  they  cheer- 
fully paid  the  halfpenny  fee  exacted  for  crossing.  Although 
since  1870,  when  the  Act  expired,  the  traffic  of  all  kinds 
has  been  conducted  over  the  bridge  without  let  or  hindrance 
and  without  the  enforcing  of  any  fee,  the  epithet  of  the 
"Bawbee  Brig"  still  clings  to  the  structure.  A  painting  of 
Davie  Finlay,  who  was  in  turn  the  ferryman  from  Dossie 
Bay  to  Dubbieside,  the  toll-keeper  at  the  suspension  bridge, 
and  a  water  carrier  in  Leven,  is  preserved  in  the  Greig 
Institute.  The  portrait  bears  that  it  was  procured  from 
Win.  Anderson  on  22nd  Dec.  1851,  and  on  the  back  there 
is  a  placard  which  announces  the  launching  of  Davie's 
coble  boat  thus  : — 

"The  new  boat  belonging  to  Davie  Finlay,  Esq.,  is  to  be 
launched  from  the  building  yard  of  Mr  Wm.  Suttie  on  Saturday 
first  at  four  o'clock.  The  attendance  of  the  public  is  respectfully 
invited  to  witness  the  exhibition,  as  it  is  the  first  of  the  kind  in 
this  part  of  the  count}'.  It  is  requested  that  those  who  have  flags 
should  display  them  that  day  for  the  sake  of  Davie." 

The  portrait  in  the  Greig  Institute  shows  Davie  in  the 
garb  of  a  water  carrier. 


60  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

Old  and  New  Industries. 

In  1546,  when  "Levynnis  mouth"  first  bursts  into  view 
historically,  Leven  was  undoubtedly  only  a  small  fishing 
hamlet.  As  time  wore  on,  the  fishings  of  the  mouth  of 
the  Leven  arid  Largo  Bay  grew  in  importance,  and  the 
fishing  communities  of  Leven  and  district  were  added  to. 
Leven  followed  up  Methil  and  other  places  on  the  coast 
in  the  establishment  of  the  coal  works  and  salt  works, 
which,  with  their  smoking  chimneys,  led  James  VI.,  who 
was  proud  of  his  wise  sayings,  to  compare  the  county  of 
Fife  to  "A  beggar's  mantle  with  a  fringe  of  gold."  Leven 
people  found  that  they  could  not  live  by  fishing  and  coal 
and  salt  alone,  and  then  came  the  advents  of  the  hand- 
loom  linen  industry  and  spinning.  As  the  click  of  the 
shuttle  became  weaker  and  weaker,  the  rattle  of  the 
spinning  machinery  became  stronger,  and  spinning  is  with 
us  to  this  day,  while  the  handloom  is  only  a  dream  and  a 
memory. 

THE  TRADE  IN  SALMON  AND  TROUT. 

The  Kirk -Session  records,  dating  back  to  the  middle  of 
the  seventeenth  century,  throw  some  light  on  the  fishing 
industry.  The  Session  were  compelled  to  watch  the  river 
on  the  Sundays  for  "  Sabbath  breakers,"  as  well  as  the 
streets  of  Leven  for  "stravagers"  who  failed  to  attend 
divine  service.  It  is  recorded  that  in  October  1645,  three 
men  and  a  woman  were  brought  before  the  Session  on  a 
charge  of  killing  "salmond"  on  a  Sunday  night.  Threa- 
tened with  excommunication,  they  were  forced  to  confess 
their  guilt,  the  male  offenders  being  mulcted  in  substantial 
fines,  and  ordained  to  own  their  fault  in  front  of  the  pulpit 
in  the  face  of  the  whole  congregation,  while  the  female 


THE    BURGH    OF    LKVEX. 


61 


delinquent,  in  respect  of  her  extreme  youth,  was  allowed 
to  go  with  a  public  confession.  The  Rev.  David  Swan, 
minister  of  the  parish,  writing  in  1790,  says  that  the 
catches  of  salmon  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  were  heavy, 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  fish  caught  were  conveyed  over 
land  to  Newburgh  and  Perth,  and  from  there  shipped  to 
the  London  market. 

The  salmon  fishing  at  the  mouth  of  the  Leven  then 
belonged  to  the  estate  of  Durie.  The  river  was  not  con- 
taminated as  it  is  at  present,  and  the  trout  fishing  from 
Leven  to  Thornton  was  very  valuable.  In  the  beginning 
of  the  nineteenth  century  works  were  springing  up  on  the 
hanks  of  the  river  from  Leven  all  the  way  to  Kinross,  and 
the  salmon  soon  began  to  desert  their  favourite  haunts. 
Rankine,  in  his  book  of  poems  published  in  1812,  thus 
sings  the  praises  of  the  Leven  : — 

I  grind  the  corn,  I  saw  the  wood, 

And  of  my  mighty  power 
At  Durie  and  Balgonie  proud 

I  melt  the  sullen  ore. 

I  bleach  the  Hnen  fair  and  clean 

To  pure  angelic  hue. 
And  from  earth's  centre  far,  unseen, 

1  raise  the  pit-coal  too. 

I  spin  the  flax,  whose  canvas  proud 

Britannia's  thunder  spreads, 
Confirms  her  empire  o'er  the  flood, 

Or  wafts  where  glory  leads. 

After  this  joyous  lilt,  Rankine  goes  on  to  say — 

Late,  at  my  confluence  with  the  Firth, 

The  stately  salmon  play'd  ; 
But  now  they're  fled  their  native  birth, 

Of  ruthless  B 11  afraid. 


62  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE   AND    WEMYSS. 

In  a  footnote  he  tells  us  that  the  "  salmon  have  of  late 
deserted  the  river  through  the  avarice  of  the  fishers." 
The  angler  may  have  had  something  to  do  with  the  reduc- 
tion in  the  number  of  fish ;  but  most  people  will  be  in- 
clined to  think  that  the  real  reason  of  the  sudden  scarcity 
of  fish  in  1812  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  the  river 
was  doing  duty  at  many  public  works  and  was  beginning 
to  send  down  the  poisonous  matter  which  ultimately  drove 
salmon  and  trout  from  the  long  stretch  of  water  from 
Leslie  to  the  Leven  mouth. 

THE   SALT   AND    MALT   WORKS. 

Before  the  Union  of  the  Parliaments  of  England  and 
Scotland  in  1707,  Leven  was  renowned  for  its  salt  pans 
and  for  the  enterprise  exhibited  in  connection  with  the 
malt  industry,  and  in  1790  there  were  as  many  as  six 
brewers  of  the  nappie  ales  which  formed  the  favourite 
beverage  of  the  times.  Messrs  J.  &  G.  Brown  are  now 
the  only  links  we  have  with  the  malt  and  brewing  industry 
of  the  past.  On  the  shore,  on  the  very  site  where  the 
salters  of  old  toiled,  Mr  Robert  Gerrett  to  day  carries  on 
a  salt  work  with  great  enterprise.  The  chimney  stalk  of 
Mr  Gerrett's  works  stands  on  the  site  of  the  old  "bucket 
pat,"  which  formed  the  sea  water  storage  pond  of  the 
works  of  other  days  ;  and  who  among  the  older  inhabi- 
tants of  Leven  does  not  remember  of  the  demolition  of  the 
unpicturesque  old  windmill  tower,  which  had  stood  for 
centuries  on  the  shore,  and  which  had  formed  the  driving 
power  for  the  pump  by  which  the  sea  water  was  drawn  to 
the  "pat?"  In  the  Admiralty  charts  of  the  olden  times 
the  windmill  figured  as  one  of  the  prominent  landmarks 
of  the  "  village "  of  Leven.  The  row  of  red-roofed  little 
houses  where  the  salters,  who  were  practically  slaves,  lived 


THE    BURGH    OF    LEVEN.  63 

has,  like   the   windmill,  vanished  away.     When   the    salt 

Itax  was  withdrawn,  salt  came  into  Scotland  from  the 
Continent  and  England,  and  the  windmills  soon  began  to 
be  stopped.  In  many  parts  of  the  country  the  trade  re- 
ceived its  coup  de  grace  when  the  salt  mines  of  Cheshire 
were  discovered.  What  was  the  history  of  works  generally 
in  Scotland  was  the  record  of  the  old  salt  pans  of  Leven. 

"Mr  Swan,  in  1790,  does  not  mention  the  works  in  the 
"  Old  Statistical  Account "  under  the  heading  of  "  Com- 
merce ";  and  Mr  Brewster,  who  wrote  in  1836,  does  not  give 
salt  a  place  among  his  "  Manufactures."  This  means  that 
under  the  changes  which  followed  the  abolition  of  the  tax 
and  the  English  discoveries  of  rock  salt,  the  windmill  of 
Leven  ceased  to  whirl,  as  it  had  done  in  other  places,  and 
the  "bucket  pat/'  was  raised  to  the  dignity  of  a  "  fairie 
pond  "  or  a  sheet  of  water  in  which  boys  sailed  their  tiny 
boats  when  the  tides  were  "  far,  far  back  on  the  Leven 
sands."  In  1857,  after  the  works  had  stood  for  many  years, 
Mr  Alexander  Clark  arrived  in  Leven  from  Prestonpans, 
and  he  revived  the  old  industry  of  salt  making.  Mr  Clark 
was  succeeded  by  his  relative,  Mr  Gerrett,  and  Mr  Gerrett 
has  completely  transformed  the  works.  What  makes  salt- 
making  possible  in  Scotland  nowadays  is  the  free  use  of 
rock-salt,  and  "  Poute,"  the  poet  of  Coup-my-Horn,  was 
not  even  taking  the  usual  poet's  licence  when,  thirty  years 
ago,  he  wrote  that  Mr  Gerrett 

.     .     .     Makes  saut  wi'  steam 
And  now  can  grind  as  much  within  an  hour 
As  they  could  do  before  in  twenty -four. 

THE    HANDLOOM. 

In  the  Acts  of  the  old  Parliament  of  Scotland,  we  are 
told  that  in  1672  Gibson  of  Durie  received  the  sanction  of 


64  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

Parliament  to  hold  two  fairs  yearly  in  the  burgh  of  barony 
of  Leven.  In  1701  three  fairs  were  held — 22nd  January, 
23rd  April,  and  17th  June — and  permission  was  granted 
to  hold  a  fourth  on  the  19th  July,  and  a  weekly  market. 
Swan  tells  us  that  in  1790  there  was  "a  fair  in  the  spring 
for  lintseed,  and  one  every  month  from  May  to  October 
for  white  linen."  The  markets  of  the  olden  time  were  not 
the  markets  of  recent  years,  which  people  who  have  only 
seen  from  forty  to  fifty  summers  are  apt  to  associate  with 
gingerbread  and  pink  and  gold  paper  packages  of  the 
"  sweeties  "  which  took  the  name  of  mixtures.  In  connec- 
tion witli  the  old  markets,  the  main  streets  of  the  market 
town  for  a  parish  or  district  were  taken  possession  of  by 
merchants  who  displayed  all  kinds  of  goods  on  the  stands 
which  they  erected.  Over  the  fords  of  Scoonie  and  the 
Leven  "gentle  and  simple"  nocked  in  great  numbers  to 
Leven,  and  from  the  stands  on  the  streets  they  purchased 
their  summer  and  winter  articles  of  clothing.  At  these 
markets  the  manufacturers  of  linen  and  the  bootmakers 
had  no  difficulty  in  disposing  of  their  wares.  Writing  in 
1790,  for  instance,  Mr  Swan  tells  us  that  there  were  140 
looms  at  work  in  Scoonie  parish,  and  '•  the  manufacturers 
have  the  benefit  of  a  ready-money  market  for  their  cloth 
as  soon  as  cut  from  the  loom  without  travelling  100  yards 
from  their  own  doors." 

How  happy  the  manufacturers  of  1790  must  have  been. 
It  must  have  been  a  pleasant  operation  to  cut  a  cloth  from 
the  loom,  carry  it  to  a  stand  in  the  High  Street  or  North 
Street,  and  thus  dispose  of  it  without  the  aid  of  the  whole- 
sale or  retail  dealer.  As  Mr  Swan  notes,  in  1790  there 
were  something  like  140  looms  in  the  parish,  and  they  had 
not  increased  much  by  1835.  There  were  only  148  males 
and  22  females  employed  in  connection  with  the  industry; 


THE    BUUGH    OP    LEV  EN.  65 

but  competition  for  the  local  trade  had  become  keener,  and 
tbe  weavers  of  Leven  wei-e  compelled  to  seek  markets 
outside  tbe  parish.  That  they  nursed  the  "  foreign  "  trade 
with  a  fair  amount  of  success  is  apparent  from  the  fact 
that  900  bales  of  linen  goods  were  shipped  in  1835.  In 
1845  the  shipment  of  linen  had  become  less,  and  earl}7  in 
the  'fifties,  when  steam  power  had  been  introduced  in 
factories  at  Dunfermline,  Dundee,  and  other  towns,  the 
totals  fell  off  considerably.  To-day  there  is  not  a  single 
handloom  in  operation  in  Scoonie  parish. 

DUBIE    FOUNDRY 

Originally  the  site  now  occupied  by  Durie  Foundry 
was  taken  up  by  a  bleachwork.  In  the  "  Scots  Magazine  " 
for  February  1743,  the  following  occupies  a  prominent 
place  among  the  advertisements : — 

"  William  Hunter,  bleacher  at  Leven,  in  the  shire  of  Fife, 
proposes  to  lay  down  cloth  by  the  first  of  March,  if  the  weather 
permits.  Cloth  for  this  field  is  taken  in  by  George  Lothian, 
merchant,  at  his  shop,  second  door  above  the  Old  Bank  Close., 
Lawn  Market,  Edinburgh;  by  Mrs  Johnston,  at  her  shop,  opposite 
to  the  head  of  the  Broadwynd,  Leith  ;  by  James  Haigie,  merchant 
in  Kirkcaldy  ;  and  at  the  Bleachfield.  At  all  which  places  receipts 
will  be  given.  The  prices  of  bleaching  are  as  follows,  viz.  : — All 
plain  linen,  wrought  in  a  reed  under  a  twelve  hundred,  at  three- 
pence halfpenny  ;  twelve  and  thirteen  at  four-pence  ;  from  thirteen 
and  not  exceeding  fourteen  at  four-pence  half-penny  ;  from  fourteen 
and  not  exceeding  fifteen  at  five-pence ;  from  fifteen  and  not  ex- 
ceeding sixteen  at  five-pence  half-penny ;  and  all  above  at  six-pence 
per  yard,  yard  broad  or  under ;  cambric  and  diaper  at  four-pence. 
It  is  desired  that  the  owner's  name  should  be  sewed  on  one  end  of 
each  piece,  and  the  number  of  yards  on  the  other,  with  linen- 
thread." 

In  1790  eighteen  hands  were  employed  at  the  bleach- 
work.  The  work  seems  to  have  been  converted  into  an 
iron  foundry,  chiefly  for  local  and  agricultural  require- 


66 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


ments,  about  the  year  1808,  or  perhaps  a  little  earlier. 
The  central  rail  of  a  small  iron  bridge  made  at  the  works, 
and  which  the  company  have  in  their  possession,  has  the 
date  1810  cast  on  it.  The  foundry  then  was  a  small 
concern,  and  belonged  to  a  man  of  the  name  of  Russell. 
The  works  passed  through  his  hands  into  those  of  a  small 
trading  company,  and  a  few  years  afterwards  they  were 
purchased  by  the  founders  of  the  present  company,  Mr 


Mayor} 


[Leven 


Durie  Foundry. 


Henry  Balfour,  son  of  a  Provost  of  Dundee,  and  Mr  James 
Anderson.  The  manufactures  from  that  time,  and  for 
about  twenty-five  years,  embraced  cast-iron  stoves  and 
boilers,  water  pipes,  &c.,  for  which  the  market  was  chiefly 
Canada.  The  articles  of  manufacture  were  made  in  con- 
siderable quantities  during  the  winter  months,  and  were 


THE    BURGH    OP    LEVEN.  67 

shipped  in  the  spring  and  summer  months  from  Leven 
harbour  by  the  "Urania,"  and  other  sailing  vessels  belong- 
ing to  Leven,  to  Quebec  and  other  ports. 

The  founders  were  succeeded  by  their  respective  sons, 
Mr  Henry  T.  Balfour,  Mr  Robert  Balfour,  and  Mr  James 
Anderson.  Marked  as  the  success  had  been  under  the 
founders,  it  became  even  more  marked  in  the  hands  of  the 
younger  men.  Mr  Henry  T.  Balfour  opened  a  London 
agency,  and  in  the  city  he  formed  a  strong  business  con- 
nection. For  many  years  Mr  Anderson  of  Norton  con- 
tinued an  active  member  of  the  firm  in  Leven.  Mr  Creeke 
joined  the  business  in  1884,  which  has  since  been  formed 
into  a  limited  liability  company,  with  an  agency  in  London, 
under  the  title  of  Henry  Balfour  &  Co.,  Limited.  The 
first  directors  were — Mr  T.  C.  Balfour  of  Carberry  (chair- 
man) ;  Mr  John  Cowan,  Edinburgh;  Mr  F.  T.  Wallace; 
Mr  Archibald  Bowman;  Mr  John  Balfour  (who  also  acts 
as  secretary);  and  Mr  Creeke.  Owing  to  the  death  of  two 
members,  the  directorate  has  undergone  some  changes, 
and  Mr  William  Shepherd  now  occupies  a  place  on  the 
board.  The  number  of  men  employed  in  1835  was  48. 
This  has  risen  to  about  240,  and  the  firm  is  now  chiefly 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  gasworks  apparatus,  steel 
structures,  roofing,  and  contractors'  plant,  with  a  speciality 
in  concrete  mixers.  These  latter  machines  are  now  in  use 
on  many  Government  works,  and  on  such  important  con- 
tracts as  the  new  docks  and  fortifications  now  being  con- 
structed at  Hong  Kong,  Malta,  Gibraltar,  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  and  Plymouth.  The  firm  is  at  present  represented 
in  London  by  Mr  Henry  Puplett.  Henry  Balfour  &  Co. 
have  long  had  a  splendid  reputation  at  the  collieries  in 
Fife  for  turning  out  machinery  of  the  best  type. 


68 


T.HE    BDRGH    OF    LEVEN. 
LEVEN    LINSEED    OIL    MILLS. 


An  industry  of  some  kind  has  been  carried  on  at  Leveii 
Mills  by  the  side  of  the  Leven  for  Centuries.  The  dwelling 
house  which  forms  part  of  the  group  of  buildings  is  one  of 
the  oldest  and  internally  one  of  the  most  interesting  build- 
inds  in  Leven.  The  works  are  at  present  in  the  hands  of 
John  Balfour  &  Co.,  and  in  the  spacious  old  premises  oil 


Patrick] 


\Etlin>nn-//h 


Leven  Oil  Hills  and  the  Old  Bridge  (1875). 


cake  apparatus  and  a  bone  mill  are  in  operation.  The 
works  have  been  in  the  hands  of  the  Balfour  family  since 
1813.  It  was  in  1813  that  Mr  Alexander  Balfour  erected 
sawmill  apparatus  for  dealing  with  home  timber,  his 
brother,  Mr  David  Balfour,  at  the  same  time  removing 
his  bone  mill  from  Startup  to  Leven  Mills,  where  they 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS.  69 

conjointly  carried  on  these  businesses,  having  at  that  date 
secured  a  ninety-nine  years'  lease  of  the  property.  Even- 
tually they  transferred  their  interests  to  their  brother,  Mr 
William  Balfour,  who  had  for  many  years  successfully 
carried  on  the  farms  of  Nether  Pratis  and  Bankhead.' 

Mr  William  Balfour  did  not  himself  engage  in  business, 
but  put  his  son,  Mr  John  Balfour,  into  the  trades  then 
existing,  and  erected  a  spinning  mill  for'  his  son-in-law, 
Mr  Andrew  Inglis,  about  1838.  These  businesses  were 
carried  on  quite  independently.  Mr  Andrew  Inglis  even- 
tually retired  from  spinning,  and  Mr  John  Balfour  con- 
verted the  mill  into  a  linseed  crushing  mill  about  1848. 
Mr  John  Balfour  died  in  1866,  and  the  business  fell  into 
the  hands  of  Mr  James  Balfour  and  Mr  Alexander  Inglis. 
Mr  James  Balfour  retired  in  1870,  and  he  was  succeeded 
by  Mr  John  Balfour  and  Mr  Alexander  Inglis,  until,  in 
1896,  the  latter  retired  and  Mr  John  Balfour  became  sole 
partner.  A  feu-charter  was  granted  by  Mr  Christie  in 
1898,  and  the  place  is  now  on  feu.  The  oil  purification 
department  is  extremely  interesting,  and  the  same  falls  to 
be  said  of  the  working  of  the  apparatus  by  which  oilcake 
is  turned  out  read}'  for  the  market.  A  turbine  wheel  of 
70  horse-power  provides  tho  motive  power  for  the  linseed 
works.  Bailie  Balfour  is  proud  of  his  turbine,  "and  so  well 
he  may,"  is  the  conclusion  the  visitor  is  driven  to  as  he 
notes  how  sweetly  the  motor  works. 

ROPEMAKING. 

In  the  "  Old  Statistical  Account "  we  are  told  that 
"  there  is  a  considerable  roperie  established  at  Leven  and 
a  good  number  of  shoemakers  are  constantly  employed." 
The  "knights  of  St  Crispin  "  as  they  were  known  in  1790 
are  no  more.  The  old  fairs,  with  their  stands  of  boots, 


70  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

are  things  of  the  past.  With  but  short  breaks,  rope- 
making  has  been  carried  on  since  1790.  Nearly  forty 
years  ago  Poute  sang  of  '"  Sunny  Leven,  where  Matthew  " 
(Mr  Matthew  Elder)  "spins  his  ropes."  Mr  Matthew 
Elder  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  James  Elder,  who  carried 
on  the  business  in  the  old  roperie  in  School  Lane  until 
1893.  The  Millfield  Works,  which  are  situated  near  the 
railway  station,  were  started  by  James  Robertson  in  1877. 
Mr  Robertson  died  in  1887,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son, 
who  makes  a  speciality  of  packing  cords  for  paper  and 
linen  manufacturers. 

THE    CREOSOTE    WORKS. 

Messrs  Alexander  Bruce  &  Company's  creosote  works 
are  one  of  the  most  recent  additions  to  the  industries  of 
Leven.  Business  men  are  compelled  in  these  days  of  fierce 
competition  to  specialise.  Messrs  Bruce  &  Company  con- 
fine themselves  to  railway  sleepers  and  telegraph  and  tele- 
phone poles,  and  such  a  hold  have  they  of  the  market  that 
the  Leven  depot  enjoys  the  unique  position  of  being  the 
only  telegraph  pole  depot  in  Scotland.  It  is  only  eighteen 
years  since  the  company  started  in  Methil.  Crushed  out 
of  Methil  by  the  dock  extension  scheme,  the  company 
leased  four  acres  of  ground  for  works  and  storage  to  the 
west  of  Leven  railway  station.  The  company  now  occupy 
nine  and  a  half  acres.  The  poles  are  imported  from  Norway, 
and  the  wood  for  the  sleepers  from  Russia.  The  company 
have  works  at  Troon,  Grimsby,  and  London.  Mr  T.  E. 
Wilson  is  the  manager  of  the  Leven  works,  and  a  better 
representative  the  company  could  not  have. 

THE    WEMYSS    SAWMILLS. 

In  1887  Messrs  James  Donaldson  <fc  Sons,  of  Tayport, 
came  to  the  banks  of  the  Leven  and  founded  what  is  now 


THE    BURGH    OP   LEVEN. 


71 


one  of  the  largest  woodyards  in  the  country,  giving  em- 
ployment to  as  many  as  seventy-five  hands  and  occupying 
about  five  acres.  The  firm  are  large  importers  of  wood 
from  America  and  the  Baltic.  An  idea  of  the  business 
carried  on  by  the  firm  will  be  obtained  when  it  is  stated 
that  the  cargoes  of  forty  vessels  were  taken  in  at  Methil 
Dock  in  1904.  The  works  are  fitted  up  with  machinery 


Mayor] 


[Leven 


Wemyss  Sawmills. 


of  the  latest  type,  and  in  the  course  of  a  year  the  mould- 
ings and  finishings  turned  out  for  house  work  are  enor- 
mous. The  firm  has  a  big  connection  with  the  collieries 
throughout  Scotland,  making  a  speciality  of  the  heavy 
timber  used  nowadays  for  colliery  work.  The  partners  of 
the  firm  are  Mr  James  and  Mr  George  Donaldson.  The 


72 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


latter  resides  at  Leven,  and  occupies  a  delightful  house  in 
Links  Road,  while  the  former  superintends  the  Tayport 
business. 

MILLFIELD    PAPER    WORKS. 

Messrs  Grosset  &  Company  have  been  happy  in  their 
choice  of  a  site  for  a  paper  work.  The  Kennoway  burn 
takes  its  rise  among  the  Lomond  hills,  and  in  summer  and 


Mayor] 


[Leven 


nillfield  Paper  Works. 


winter  the  dam  in  front  of  the  works  is  filled  with  delight- 
fully pure  water.  The  firm  procured  the  site  in  1880,  and 
in  a  comparatively  short  time  they  had  a  well-appointed 
work  in  operation.  A  steadily  increasing  trade  has  neces- 
sitated considerable  additions  to  the  works,  and  now  some- 
thing like  three  acres  of  ground  are  covered  by  well- 
arranged  buildings.  The  firm  have  concentrated  their 


THE    BUUGH    OP     LEVEN.  73 

efforts  on  machine  glazed  biscuit  caps  and  envelope  papers, 
and  the  quality  of  the  papers  turned  out  has  been  such 
that  they  have  been  able  to  open  up  a  large  connection 
throughout  the  country.  There  are  two  machines  of  84 
inches  each,  and  the  motive  power  is  supplied  by  six  steam 
engines  of  400  (combined)  horse-power.  There  are  three 
large  sheds  set  aside  for  preparing  the  raw  material,  and 
the  three  boilers  in  the  boiling  house  each  hold  25  cwts.  of 
rags.  The  machinery  is  the  best  in  the  market,  and  steam 
and  water  power  are  employed.  The  paper  -  making 
machines  are  each  capable  of  producing  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  tons  a  week.  The  works  are  under  the  immediate 
supervision  of  Mr  Grosset,  the  founder  of  the  firm,  and  his 
son,  Mr  Philip  Grosset.  Undoubtedly  much  of  the  success 
is  due  to  the  admirable  supervision  given  by  the  partners, 
and  in  the  counting  house  they  have  able  assistance  from 
Mr  William  Grosset. 

MINING    IX    AND    ABOUT    LEVEN. 

The  writer  of  the  article  on  Scoonie  in  the  <;Old  Statis- 
tical Account "  says  : — 

"There  are  very  extensive  seams  of  coal  in  the  estate  of  Durie, 
which  have  been  wrought  for  upwards  of  a  century.  One  seam  is 
of  excellent  quality,  and  used  to  be  exported  from  Leven  to  Hol- 
land, where  it  met  with  a  more  ready  sale  than  most  of  the  other 
coals  carried  from  this  part  of  the  country.  This  seam,  so  far  as  it 
could  be  drained  by  the  present  water  engine,  is  now  exhausted. 
The  seams  now  working  are  of  inferior  quality,  but  answer  for 
land  sale,  and  furnish  fuel  for  two  or  three  salt  pans,  which  are 
very  productive." 

The  water  engine  here  referred  to  by  Mr  Swan  was 
erected  on  a  shaft  at  Durie  Broom,  to  the  east  of  "  Siller 
Hole."  The  motive  power  for  the  huge  pump  was  not 
drawn  from  steam  but  from  water,  and  it  was  really 
wonderful  the  amount  of  enterprise  which  was  exhibited 


74  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    VVEMYSS. 

in  connection  with  the  driving  power.  On  an  old  map  of 
Durie  estate,  which  is  preserved  by  Mr  Christie  to  this 
day,  two  considerable  sheets  of  water  are  noted — the  lochs 
of  Banbeath  and  of  Durie.  The  mining  engineers  of  the 
olden  time  hit  upon  the  idea  of  driving  a  mine  through 
the  ridge  which  forms  the  "  tail  of  the  craig  "  of  the  Maiden 
Castle  at  Kennoway  Burns,  and  cutting  a  water  channel 
from  the  mine  to  Durie  Broom.  By  this  engineering  feat 
Kennoway  Burn  was  tapped,  the  lochs  drained,  and  an 
abundant  supply  of  water  procured  to  drive  the  water 
wheel  at  the  pit. 

The  Durie  Broom,  or  the  "  Engine  Pit,"  as  it  was  called, 
was  sunk  to  a  lower  level  than  the  "  Sauchbush "  and 
many  other  small  pits  which  were  opened  on  Durie  estate, 
and  from  which  coals  were  gotten  for  many  years  for  the 
trade  which  was  opened  up  between  the  port  of  Leven  and 
Holland.  The  machinery  of  the  olden  time  ultimately 
became  overpowered  with  water,  and  for  some  years  coal 
working  was  abandoned  on  the  estate.  The  return  of  the 
exports  and  imports  at  Leven  harbour  for  1835  shows,  for 
instance,  that  577  tons  of  coal  were  imported  during  the 
year,  but  there  was  no  coal  exported.  In  1854,  however, 
a  firm,  headed  by  Mr  D.  Landale,  took  a  lease  of  the  Durie 
minerals,  and  sunk  the  "  Burn  Pit "  near  Scoonie  Cemetery, 
and  an  air  shaft  immediately  to  the  north  of  the  "  Siller 
Hole."  Lying  as  it  does  in  a  hollow  between  the  Leven 
and  the  Aithernie  dykes,  the  area  operated  upon  was  a  big 
trough  of  water,  and  the  expenditure  for  pumping  was  so 
great  that  the  company  found  it  difficult  in  hard  times  to 
get  a  margin  of  profit.  Abandonment  came  within  a  few 
years,  and  the  minerals  immediately  to  the  north  of  Leven 
were  allowed  to  lie  undisturbed  until  1893,  when  the  Fife 
Coal  Company  took  a  lease  of  the  field  and  sunk  two 


THE    BURGH    OP    LEVEN.  75 

shafts  on  the  rising  ground  between  the  Scoonie  and  Silver 
burns.  Three  workable  seams  of  coal  were  found — the 
Eight  Feet  at  80  fathoms  in  depth,  the  Six  Feet  at  87 
fathoms,  and  the  Chemiss  Splint  at  100  fathoms.  To 
keep  the  pits  dry  the  company  had  as  much  as  1600 
gallons  of  water  a  minute  to  pump.  The  blaes  imme- 
diately overlying  the  coal  were  soft,  and  occasionally 
blanks  were  found  in  the  Chemiss  splint  seam.  Opera- 
tions were  suspended  in  January  1903,  and  the  great 
puffing  pits  of  a  decade  ago  are,  like  the  u  Sauchbush  " 
and  the  "  Durie  Broom  "  shafts,  abandoned,  and  the  redd 
bings  and  gaping  holes  are  alone  left  to  recall  the  activity 
and  the  work  of  other  days. 

The  dyke  which  divides  the  Durie  minerals  into  two 
fields  runs  in  a  north-westerly  direction,  considerably  to 
the  south  of  Durie  House.  The  section  lying  to  the  north 
of  this  dyke  will  doubtless  be  tapped  some  day,  and 
history,  as  it  has  often  done  before,  will  repeat  itself  in 
Durie  mineral  fields.  The  southern  section,  operated  upon 
by  the  old  miners  of  Scoonie  and  the  miners  who  worked 
to  the  Fife  Coal  Company,  are  flooded  by  a  great  sheet  of 
water ;  but  it  is  believed  that  the  dyke  which  divides  this 
section  from  the  north  section  will  be  a  sufficient  barrier 
to  keep  back  the  water  from  any  workings  which  may  be 
carried  on  in  connection  with  the  development  of  the 
minerals  to  the  north  of  Durie  House.  The  Fife  Coal 
Company  commenced  operations  at  their  Leven  Colliery 
on  the  top  of  Kinarchie  Braes  in  1877,  but  as  the  colliery 
is  in  Wemyss  parish,  details  in  connection  with  the  work 
are  given  in  another  chapter.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the 
Leven  and  Durie  fields  are  divided  by  a  dyke,  so  that  the 
Leven  Colliery  is  protected  from  the  water  by  which  the 
Durie  workings  have  been  flooded. 


76  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  state  that  the  Dysart  Main 
Coal,  which  is  the  principal  seam  operated  upon  in  Wemyss 
and  Markincli  parishes,  was  not  found  by  the  Fife  Coal 
Company  in  the  Durie  pits,  and  as  the  upper  seams  get 
thinner  as  we  go  east,  it  is  argued  by  practical  men  that 
the  famous  seam  will  not  be  found  along  the  sandy  beach 
which  lies  between  the  Durie  pits  and  Largo.  The  chances 
are  that  the  many  mines  which  in  the  olden  time  were 
driven  into  the  slopes  along  which  the  railway  now  runs 
worked  only  the  crops  of  the  upper  coal  seams,  and  the 
ironstone  which  is  met  with  in  patches  at  certain  points 
in  the  district. 

BHICKS,    TILES,    AND    OCHRE. 

A  considerable  portion  of  Leven  was  built  from  bricks 
manufactured  at  Leven  brick  and  tile  works,  by  the  side 
of  Scoonie  Road.  For  nearly  half  a  century  the  works 
were  carried  on  by  Mr  Alexander  White  and  his  son,  Mr 
John  White,  an  ex-Provost  of  the  Burgh,  under  the  firm 
name  of  John  White  &  Son.  Operations  were  stopped  at 
the  works  in  1880.  In  addition  to  manufacturing  bricks 
and  tiles,  Messrs  White  &  Son  did  a  considerable  business 
in  the  ochre  trade,  one  of  the  oldest  industries  in  Leven. 
Mr  Brewster  in  the  "New  Statistical  Account"  says  : — 

"About  the  year  1802  a  bore  was  put  down  near  Scoonie  bridge 
which  reached  the  bottom  of  the  main  coal,  or  a  depth  of  53 
fathoms.  This  bore,  besides  the  upper  seams  of  coal,  passed 
through  a  stratum  of  ochre  upwards  of  four  feet  thick,  and  three 
seams  of  fire  clay,  two  of  which  are  of  the  finest  quality.  A  bed  of 
ochre  four  feet  thick,  lying  on  the  estates  of  Durie  and  Aithernie, 
has  been-  wrought  for  several  years,  of  which  a  considerable 
quantity  is  exported." 

The  Messrs  Landale  had  a  considerable  output  of  ochre 
at  their  "  Siller  Hole  "  pit,  and  away  further  up  the  den  in 
the  Aithernie  direction  Mr  John  Anderson  operated  on 


THE    BURGH    OP    LEVEN.  77 

the  same  seam  of  ochre  with  an  "  in-going-eye."  On  the 
ochre  being  drawn  from  the  mines  it  was  conveyed  to 
Messrs  White's  and  Mr  Anderson's  works  and  there  it  was 
treated  by  grinding  mills  and  exported  in  ships  from  the 
harbour  to  all  parts  of  the  country.  In  1835,  191  tons  of 
ochre,  representing  a  value  of  £573,  were  exported  from 
Leven.  At  one  time  a  considerable  business  was  done  in 
red  "  keel  "  from  Kennoway  Den.  The  "  keel  "  was  used 
principally  for  marking  sheep,  and  the  Leven  ochre  will 
remind  older  people  of  the  days  when  the  "  buts  and  the 
bens"  of  the  working  classes  were  annually  painted  l>y 
artistic  matrons  with  an  "orange"  or  a  "canary"  tint. 

HAWKSLAW    SPINNING    MILLS. 

The  Hawkslaw  Spinning  Mills  belong  to  The  Boase 
Spinning  Company,  Limited.  The  work  is  by  far  the 
largest  in  the  burgh  of  Leven — indeed,  it  is  the  largest 
spinning  work  in  Fife — and  gives  employment  to  upwards 
of  600  hands.  The  spinning  industry  has  for  a  long  series 
of  years  been  carried  on  at  Leven.  In  1835  there  were  as 
many  as  five  mills  in  Leven  for  spinning  flax  and  tow. 
The  five  works  gave  employment,  to  254  hands,  and  they 
represented  a  combined  capital  of  £15,000.  In  the  fierce 
competition  which  arose  in  the  closing  days  of  the  sixties 
and  the  seventies,  through  foreign  competition,  the  pro- 
prietors of  many  of  the  smaller  mills  in  the  "  Kingdom  " 
were  compelled  to  suspend  operations.  Leven  was  hit  like 
other  places,  and  the  profits  became  so  small  that  the 
proprietors  in  some  instances  were  compelled  to  shut  down 
their  works.  At  Hawkslaw  Mills  the  manufacture  of 
fishing  nets  was  carried  on  as  well  as  spinning,  and  the 
double  industry  gave  the  proprietors  an  advantage  which 
enabled  them  always  to  employ  a  fair  number  of  hands. 


78 


RAMBLES    IN   SCOONIE   AND   WEMYSS. 


In  the  early  sixties  the  work  belonged  to  A.  Boswall  & 
Coy.,  Mr  Alex.  Boswall,  who  died  in  1867,  being  the 
principal  partner.  Messrs  Henry  and  Robert  Small 
succeeded  Mr  Boswall,  and  shortly  after  they  had  acquired 
the  business  they  were  joined  by  Mr  W.  L.  Boase,  of 
Dundee,  and  the  advent  of  Mr  Boase  brought  about  a 
change  in  the  trading  name — A.  Boswall  &  Company 
giving  place  to  Small  <fe  Boase.  On  the  death  of  Mr 


Mayor] 


Hawkslaw  Spinning  Works. 


[Leven 


Henry  Small,  Mr  Robert  Small  retired  from  the  firm,  and 
Mr  Boase  was  joined  by  his  cousin,  Mr  Edward  Boase, 
who  had  had  a  military  training.  Mr  Edward  Boase  died 
in  June  1878,  and  previous  to  his  death  Mr  Shaun  was 
assumed  as  a  partner.  In  July  1886  a  limited  liability 
company  was  formed  in  connection  with  Hawkslaw  Works, 
the  name  taken  being  the  Boase  Spinning  Company.  In 


THE    BURGH    OP    LEVEN.  79 

1892  the  manufacturing  business  carried  on  by  Messrs 
W.  L.  Boase  &  Company,  in  Dundee,  was  amalgamated 
with  the  Leven  business,  and  the  two  concerns  have  since 
then  been  carried  on  by  the  limited  liability  company. 
Mr  W.  L.  Boase  is  the  General  Manager  and  Chairman  of 
the  Company,  and  on  the  board  of  directors  he  has 
associated  with  him  his  four  sons — namely,  Messrs  E. 
Leslie  Boase,  G.  H.  Lindsay  Boase,  W.  Norman  Boase, 
and  P.  Meldrum  Boase,  and  Mr  T.  Murdoch.  Mr  George 
Craig,  who  is  resident  in  Leven,  is  secretary  of  the  Company. 

Despite  the  depression  which  has  been  experienced  in 
connection  with  the  spinning  trade  throughout  Scotland 
during  the  past  35  years,  because  of  foreign  competition, 
the  record  at  the  Hawkslaw  Works  has  been  one  of  unin- 
terrupted progress.  The  Chairman  of  the  Company  has 
been  fully  alive  to  the  ever-changing  conditions  of  the 
industry,  and  as  the  time  came  for  dropping  ends  of  the 
trade  which  were  no  longer  practicable,  new  departments 
were  introduced  with  most  satisfactory  results. 

At  one  time  a  large  business  was  done  in  fishing  nets 
and  lines  made  from  Russian  hemp,  but  as  time  went  on 
the  finer  fibered  Italian  hemp  was  introduced  and  other 
ends  of  the  trade  taken  up,  and  now  flax  bulks  largely  in 
the  Company's  business,  very  large  contracts  for  Govern- 
ment and  for  railway  companies  being  undertaken 
annually.  In  every  department  the  mill  is  well  appointed. 
At  one  time  the  heckling  was  carried  on  at  Millfield,  the 
site  of  the  paper  works,  but  in  course  of  time  the  old 
heckle  room  was  abandoned  and  concentration  achieved  by 
the  building  of  a  heckle  room  at  Hawkslaw. 

On  the  Riverbank  Mill,  which  belonged  to  the  late  Mi- 
Thomas  Crabb,  coming  into  the  market,  it  was  acquired  by 


80  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE   AND    VVEMYSS. 

the  Boase  Company  and  included  within  the  Hawkslaw 
gates.  The  General  Manager  is  happy  in  his  board  of 
directors.  His  sons  have  had  a  practical  training  in 
various  departments  of  the  works,  and  the  same  falls  to  be 
said  of  Mr  Murdoch.  The  Leven  works  are  under  the 
immediate  supervision  of  Mr  E.  Leslie  Boase.  Nothing 
gives  the  Chairman  of  the  Company  more  pleasure  than  to 
pay  a  visit  to  Leven.  He  has  been  a  member  of  Inner- 
leven  Golf  Club  for  many  years,  and  although  no  longer 
young,  he  gets  health  and  enjoyment  from  an  occasional 
round  on  the  links  by  Leven  and  Lundin. 

DERATED    WATER    AND    LAUNDRY    WORKS. 

Six  years  ago  Provost  Adamson  opened  the  Glebefield 
aerated  water  works  near  the  Railway  station.  The  works 
are  splendidly  appointed,  and  the  daily  output  of  sparkling 
waters  is  large.  Under  the  management  of  Mr  J. 
Kinncar  Campbell,  the  Durie  aerated  water  works  have 
been  reconstructed,  and  the  business  has  been  largely 
increased.  The  Leven  steam  laundry  was  opened  in  the 
spring  of  1905  by  the  Kirkcaldy  Laundry  Company.  The 
fittings  are  of  the  most  modern  type  and  the  company 
turns  out  good  work.  There  is  also  a  laundry  work  in 
North  Street. 

The  Old  Waggon  Road. 

Amidst  all  the  changes  which  have  been  experienced  in 
the  Burgh  of  Leven  in  recent  years,  perhaps  the  most 
striking  change  of  all  is  that  which  time  has  wrought  on 
the  old  Waggon  Road.  The  coals  which  were  exported 
from  Leven  harbour  to  Holland,  Norway,  and  the  upper 
reaches  of  the  Baltic,  were  trundled  down  the  old  Waggon 
Road  in  bogies.  The  bogies  were  drawn  by  horses  on 
wooden  rails,  and  in  the  busy  shipping  season  the  crack  ot 


THE    BURGH    OP    LEVEN. 


81 


the  driver's  whip,  the  creaking  of  stiff  wheels  and  the 
rattle  of  tail  chains  could  be  heard  day  arid  night.  The 
sides  of  the  waggon  way  have,  for  a  considerable  distance, 
been  taken  up  by  cottages  of  a  modern  type.  Brambles 
and  rose  bushes  grow  in  profusion  on  the  slopes  of  the  line 
to  the  north  of  the  North  British  Railway.  The  waggon 
way  is  one  of  the  finest  inland  walks  in  the  district,  so 
that  if  the  people  of  Leven  have  lost  in  one  way  through 
the  stoppage  of  the  "  Sauchbush  "  and  the  "  Siller  Hole  " 
pits,  they  have  gained  in  another  by  their  being  permitted 
to  ramble  among  the  haunts  of  bush  and  birds  without 
being  troubled  by  the  rattle  of  waggons  and  the  noise 
which  comes  from  the  accessories  of  a  colliery. 

The   Valuation  of  Scoonie. 

The  valuation  of  a  burgh  or  parish  is  accepted  as  much 
as  the  census  returns  as  an  index  to  decay  or  progress. 
The  following  table  bearing  on  the  valuation  of  Scoonie 
will  be  read  with  interest  by  people  of  a  statistical  turn  of 

mind  : — 

Burgh. 


1855-6, 

1886, 

1893, 

1894, 

1896, 

1897, 

1898, 

1899, 

1900, 

1901, 

1902, 

1903, 

1904, 

1905, 


...      £17,598  19  0 

18,022  12  4 

18,528  18  7 

19,136  15  1 

19,581     1  10 

19,760  11  6 

20,260  16  11 

20,781  18  4 

21,250    9  11 

The  burgh  made  a  distinct  leap  forward  in  1878  and 
1880,   when  the  Leven  coalfields  began  to  be  opened  up, 

p 


Parish. 
£11,824  7  0 
19,026  3  11 
21,122  10 
23,349  5 
25,897  11 
27,246  5 
27,992  3 
28,730  7 
30,636  16 
30,859  11 
31,414  8 
31,309  9 
33,017  6 
33,103  2 


82  RAMBLES    IN    SCOON1R    AND    WEMYSS. 

and  it  will  be  seen  from  the  above  statistics  that  the 
progress  was  very  marked  from  1893  to  1897.  Since.  1897 
things  have  moved  quietly  ;  but  still  progress  has  been 
made. 

The  Parish  Council. 

Popularly  elected  bodies  were  for  the  first  time  con- 
stituted for  the  government  of  Scottish  burghs  in  1833. 
Parochial  Boards,  mainly  representative  of  the  rights  of 
property,  were  called  into  existence  by  the  Poor  Law 
(Scotland)  Act,  1845,  the  parish  being  the  Poor  Law  area. 
The  Local  Government  Act,  1889,  gave  practically  the 
same  self-government  to  the  landward  parts  of  the  parish 
as  the  burghs  had  enjoyed  for  years  ;  the  Act  of  1894 
introduced  the  principle  of  self-government  into  Poor 
Law  administration,  and  in  1895  the  Parochial  Board 
gave  place  to  the  Parish  Council.  Here  are  the  names  of 
the  chairmen  of  Scoonie  Parish  Council  since  the  passing 
of  the  Act:— Mr  John  Wilkie,  20th  May  1895  to  Decem- 
ber 1898;  Mr  R.  M.  Christie  of  Durie,  from  December 
1898  to' December  1904;  Mr  John  White,  elected  1904 
and  continues  in  office.  Mr  James  Philp  was  appointed 
Inspector  cf  Poor  in.  May  1879,  and  continues  to  fulfil  the 
duties  of  the  office.  Mr  Philp  is  also  Clerk  to  the  Council. 
The  Rev.  David  Swan  gives  us  the  following  glimpse  at 
the  administration  of  poor  funds  in  the  parish  in  1790: — 

"  There  are  no  begging  poor  in  this  parish.  About  fifteen  or 
sixteen  families  receive  from  6<1  to  Is  of  weekly  supplies,  according 
to  their  respective  circumstances.  Three  or  four  have  a  small 
monthly  allowance,  besides  occasional  charities  given  to  families  in 
distress.  The  members  of  the  Kirk  Session  are  very  careful  in 
guarding  on  the  one  hand  against  impositions,  and  on  the  other 
hund,  that  no  necessitous  person  be  neglected.  The  only  funds  for 
the  support  of  the  poor  are  the  weekly  collections  at  the  church 
doors,  amounting  to  about  £26  ;  the  collection  at-  the  Communion, 


THE    BURGH    OF    LEVKN.  83 

dispensed  twice  a  year,  £11;  seat  rents,  £4;  and  a  trifling  sum 
from  the  mort-cloth,  amounting  altogether  to  £45  or  £46  sterling 
per  annum." 

Writing  in  December  1836,  nine  years  before  the 
Poor  Law  Act  came  into  operation,  the  Rev.  Dr  Brewster 
says : — 

"  The  average  number  of  paupers  upon  the  register  roll  for  the 
last  three  years  is  15  ;  but  none  are  placed  there  unless  those  who, 
from  age  and  infirmity,  appear  altogether  incapacitated  from  ever 
earning  a  maintenance  for  themselves.  A  much  greater  number  of 
poor  receive  occasional  assistance  during  a  temporary  illness,  or  in 
winter,  when  there  is  no  outdoor  work.  This  is  given  at  the  dis- 
cretion of  the  minister  or  the  elder  of  the  district,  which  has  the 
effect  of  stimulating  their  own  exertions,  and  tends  in  some 
measure  to  keep  alive  a  spirit  of  independence,  which,  I  fear,  is 
fast  fading  from  our  population.  The  average  annual  disburse- 
ments made  by  the  Kirk  Session  for  the  last  three  years  amounted 
to  £219  14s  Id — to  regular  and  occasional  paupers,  £161  15s  5d  ;  to 
pauper  lunatics,  £42  19s  4d  ;  and  to  sessional  expenses,  £14  I9s4d. 
Of  this  sum  the  church-door  collections  amounted  to  £62  17s  7d, 
and  sundries  to  £8  4s  6d.  The  remainder  was  contributed  by  the 
heritors  according  to  their  valued  rents." 

The  Stage  Coach  and  the  Railway. 

In  1836  there  were  two  arrivals  of  mails  and  two 
dispatches  at  the  Post  Office  of  Leven  daily.  The  stage 
coach  passed  through  Leven  from  Anstruther  for  Edin- 
burgh three  times  a  week,  and  a  steamboat  plied  between 
Granton  or  Leith  twice  a  day  during  the  summer  months 
and  once  in  the  winter  months.  There  being  no  bridge 
over  the  Leven  near  the  town  of  Leven,  the  stage  coach 
was  run  via  Cameron  Bridge.  The  railway  from  Leven  to 
Thornton  was  opened  in  1854,  and  trains  first  began  to  be 
run  to  Largo  and  eastwards  in  August  1857.  The  line  is 
only  a  single  one ;  but  the  passenger  traffic  has  increased 
so  much  in  recent  years  that  it  is  expected  the  North 
British  Railway  Company  will  construct  a  double  line  at 
no  distant  date. 


84  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

Leven  Water  Supply. 

The  Water  Act  empowering  the  Town  Council  to 
introduce  the  Carlhurlie  or  Pratis  burn  water  supply  was 
obtained  in  1889.  The  pipe  track  is  about  four  miles. 
The  water  was  introduced  in  1891,  and  the  works,  includ- 
ing the  filters,  cost  £23,300.  The  reservoir  takes  up 
about  23  acres. 

Leven  Lovely  for  Situation. 

The  Rev.  David  Swan  disposes  of  the  situation  of  the 
town  of  Leven  in  a  single  line — "  the  beach  is  sandy  and 
the  shore  quite  flat."  Mr  Swan's  description  is  true 
enough  ;  but  it  does  not  by  any  means  exhaust  the  subject. 
Leven  is  positively  lovely  for  situation.  In  every  season 
of  the  year  Largo  Bay,  whether  the  breeze 

"  With  careering  wing 
Stays  like  an  unseen  being  on  the  water," 

or  the  stormy  wind  angrily  sweeps  the  surface,  is  ever 
interesting.  The  softly  rippling  waves  have  a  soothing 
influence  on  the  mind  and  are  suggestive  of  the  calms  of 
life  ;  the  thunder  of  the  billows  recalls  the  strifes  of  the 
world.  But  a  most  interesting  feature  of  Largo  Bay  is  the 
perpetual  change  of  colour.  In  days  when  the  sky  is 
clear  we  have  the  "dark  blue  sea."  In  days  when  the 
clouds  are  moving  to  and  fro,  as  if  driven  by  a  rushing 
mighty  wind,  we  have  light  and  dark  blues  and  light  and 
dark  greens  in  turn,  while  in  the  days  when  the 

"  Rain  from  the  sky  turns  into  pearl" 

as  it  touches  the  calm  water,  and  Nature  seems  to  be 
"speaking"  in  whispers,  the  feeling  of  repose  is  charming. 
As  the  sun  glints  through  the  clouds,  the  white  side  of  the 
Bass  Rock  lights  up  the  Forth,  and  a  little  further  up  the 
firth  the  eye  lights  on  the  greens  of  North  Berwick  Law 


TIIE    BOUGH    OP    LEVEN.  85 

and  the  country  which  surrounds  it.  It  has  been  said  by 
a  poet  that  spring  silently  passes  into  summer ;  summer 
fades  in  the  golden  tints  of  autumn,  and  autumn  dies  in 
the  cold  embrace  of  winter.  The  view  across  the  Forth  in 
winter,  with  its  "  chill  embrace,"  has  as  many  charms  as  it 
has  in  summer.  In  winter,  when  the  sun  is  late  in  rising, 
it  seems  to  turn  the  Bass  into  a  huge  emerald,  and  in  a 
short  time  afterwards  it  sits  like  a  golden  crown  upon 
North  Berwick  Law.  Largo  Law  and  Elie  Point,  and  the 
long  stretches  of  glistening  sand,  have  all  their  beauties  in 
spring,  in  summer,  in  autumn,  and  in  winter.  The 
Apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  in  writing  to  the  Church  at  Rome 
in  the  hope  of  convincing  them  that  the  heathen  world 
had  little  excuse  for  sheer  indifference,  although  they  had 
no  direct  revelation,  says:  "That  the  invisible  things  of 
God  from  the  creation  of  the  world  were  clearly  seen  in 
the  things  which  He  had  made,  even  His  eternal  power 
and  Godhead."  There  are  few  more  striking  types  of 
the  "  invisible  things  of  God  "  than  the  pictures  which  are 
unfolded  by  nature  daily  on  the  "  flat  sandy  beach "  of 
Leven  and  in  Largo  Bay. 

Formation  of  a  Gas  Company  for  the  Burgh. 

As  far  back  as  1837,  a  meeting  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Leven  was  held  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the  advis- 
ability of  forming  a  company  for  lighting  the  town  with 
gas.  It  was  agreed  to  form  a  joint  stock  company.  The 
company  was  duly  launched  with  a  capital  of  £800,  and  so 
rapidly  were  the  works  constructed  that  in  October — just 
eight  months  after  the  first  meeting — we  find  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Relief  Church  in  Viewforth  Square  making 
application  for  a  supply  of  gas  for  the  church.  In  the 
closing  days  of  October  1837  gas  was  first  turned  on  at 
the  works.  The  Company  was  a  success  from  the  day  of 


86  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

its  inception,  and  in  November  1846  the  capital  was 
raised  from  £800  to  £1,500.  In  1854  the  capital  was 
increased  to  £1800;  in  1897  to  £3,600;  and  in  1900  to 
£9,000.  The  following  are  the  names  of  the  managers  : — - 
1837-1845,  James  Aifcken  ;  1845-1846,  John  Gillies  ;  1846- 
1849,  John  Low;  1849-1859,  John  Dasken  ;  1859-1860, 
James  C.  Adamson:  1860-1869,  J.  Lowden  ;  1869-1870, 
Wm.  Manclark;  1870-1873,  Henry  Landale  ;  1873-1900, 
Robert  Readdie  ;  1900,  P.  L.  Readdie. 

Mr  Lowden  was  the  originator  of  the  North  British 
Association  of  Gas  Managers,  and  was  for  two  years  its 
president.  The  present  manager  is  a  son  of  Mr  Robert 
Readdie,  who  was  the  manager  for  27  years,  and  under 
whose  management  the  works  were  much  extended. 

Some  of  the  Customs  of  other  Days. 

In  his  article  in  the  "  Old  Statistical  Account,"  Mr 
Swan  has  a  chapter  devoted  to  the  "  advantages "  and 
"  disadvantages  "  of  Scoonie,  and  under  the  heading  of  the 
former  he  says  : — 

"  It  is  no  small  advantage  to  this  parish,  particularly  to  the 
town  of  Leven,  that  they  have  no  connection  with  corporation  or 
borough  politics,  which  for  the  most  part  are  attended  with  such 
bad  effects  upon  the  industry  and  the  morals  of  the  people." 

Mr  Swan's  note  is  a  terrible  reflection  upon  local  govern- 
ment in  the  burghs  in  the  closing  days  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  These  were  the  days  when  Lucky  Skinner  in 
her  hostelry  at  Kinghorn  could  control  a  parliamentary  or 
a  municipal  election.  A  Member  of  Parliament  for  a 
group  of  burghs  was  elected  by  a  representative  from  each 
burgh,  and  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  one  or  more  of 
the  members  of  the  "  constituency "  to  be  kidnapped, 
carried  to  an  alehouse,  and  held  a  prisoner  until  the 
election  was  over.  Time  has  brought  changes  in  connection 


THK    BUHGH    OF    LKVEN.  87 

with  parliamentary  and  municipal  elections.  If  only  the 
minister  of  the  parish  could  come  back  to  the  former 
scene  of  his  labours  he  would  find  that  the  people  are 
now-a-days  alive  to  the  responsibilities  of  self-government, 
and  that  municipal  and  parliamentary  elections  come  and 
go  without  affecting  in  the  slightest  degree  the  ''industries" 
or  the  "morals"  of  the  community. 

Considering  Mr  Swan's  strong  scent  for  vagaries 
among  his  parishioners  and  his  contempt  for  institutions 
which  might  interfere  with  the  "  morals  "  of  the  people,  it 
is  inexplicable  that  he  should  have  tolerated  such  a  custom 
as  that  complained  of  by  his  successor,  Dr  Brewster.  In 
the  "  New  Statistical  Account,"  Dr  Brewster  says  : — 

"  It  may  be  proper  to  mention  an  improvement  in  the  mode  of 
conducting  funerals,  which  has  tended  much  to  the  comfort  and 
convenience  of  the  working  classes.  When  the  present  incumbent 
came  to  the  parish,  it  was  customary  to  have  at  least  thr^e  services, 
but  often  more — one  of  spirits  with  bread  and  cheese,  and  two  of 
wine  with  cake  and  biscuits.  The  services  not  only  occasioned 
much  delay,  but  entailed  a  heavy  expense  upon  poor  families, 
which,  at  such  a  season  especially,  they  were  little  able  to  bear. 
Now  the  services  are  altogether  discontinued,  the  procession  com- 
mences precisely  at  the  hour  appointed,  and  it  may  be  recorded  to 
the  credit  of  the  community  that  generally  they  entered  most 
readily  into  the  new  arrangement." 

It  appears  from  this  paragraph  that  the  mournful 
processions  were  often  delayed  so  that  the  services  of 
spirits  and  wine  might  be  continued — the  delay  was 
perhaps  even  a  worse  feature  of  the  custom  than  the  tax 
through  which  the  pockets  of  poor  people  were  drawn 
upon  to  an  extent  they  were  little  able  to  bear. 

From  Chapman  to  Rector  and  Author. 

For  genius  and  learning.  Jerome  Stone  was  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  men  the  parish  of  Scooiiie  has  produced. 


88  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WKMYSS. 

He  was  born  in  1727.  His  father  sailed  a  small  ship 
between  the  port  of  Leven  and  the  Continent,  and  died 
abroad  when  Jerome  was  only  three  years  of  age.  There 
was  a  considerable  family,  and  the  mother  and  the  young 
family  were  left  in  straitened  circumstances.  Jerome 
attended  the  parish  school  of  Scoonie,  and  while  a  mere 
child  took  up  the  business  of  a  travelling  chapman.  Swan 
says  that  the  "  dealing  in  buckles,  garters,  and  such  like 
small  articles  "  did  not  suit  his  "  superior  genius."  He 
therefore  converted  his  stock  into  books,  and  for  some 
years  went  through  the  country  and  attended  the  fairs  as 
an  itinerant  bookseller.  At  Wemyss,  Scoonie,  Anstruther, 
St  Andrews,  and  the  different  fairs  in  the  "  Kingdom,"  he 
handled  his  books  as  a  man  who  loved  them,  and  really 
seemed  to  pay  more  attention  to  the  improvement  of  the 
mind  than  to  the  pecuniary  side  of  the  question.  At  an 
early  age  he  showed  that  he  had  a  peculiar  talent  for 
acquiring  languages.  He  first  learned  Hebrew  and  Greek, 
without  assistance  from  any  teacher,  and  feeling  that  he 
could  not  make  the  progress  that  he  desired  without  a 
knowledge  of  Latin,  he  applied  to  Mr  John  Tuscan,  the 
parish  schoolmaster  of  Scoonie,  for  assistance.  Principal 
Tullidelph,  a  heritor  of  the  parish,  encouraged  him  to 
prosecute  his  studies  at  St  Andrews  University,  and  there 
he  became  a  great  favourite  with  professors  and  students. 
Before  he  had  been  many  months  in  St  Andrews  he  was 
reeling  off  humorous  poetical  pieces  for  the  '•  Scots 
Magazine."  While  in  his  third  session  he  was  recom- 
mended by  the  professors  as  the  student  best  qualified  to 
fill  the  position  of  assistant  teacher  in  the  school  of 
Dunkeld.  The  Scoonie  chapman  taught  with  marked 
ability,  and  in  little  more  than  two  years  after  his 
appointment  he  was  promoted  to  the  rectorship,  on  the 


THE    BURGH    OF    LEV  EN.  89 

post  becoming  vacant.  He  studied  Gaelic  at  Dunkeld. 
At  first  he  thought  the  language  a  "barbarous  gibberish"; 
but  he  soon  discovered  something  of  its  true  genius  and 
character  and  translated  a  number  of  "  daring,  passionate, 
and  bold"  poems  into  English.  He  died  while  preparing 
for  the  press  a  treatise  entitled  an  "  Inquiry  into  the 
Original  of  the  Nation  and  Language  of  the  Ancient 
Scots,  with  conjectures  about  the  primitive  state  of  the 
Celtic  and  other  European  Nations."  Tn  this  treatise 
Stone  tries  to  prove  that  the  Scots  drew  their  origin,  as 
well  as  their  language,  from  the  Gauls.  The  learned  men 
of  the  time  who  had  a  peep  at  the  manuscript  write  of  it 
as  a  work  which  showed  "great  ingenuity,  immense  read- 
ing, and  indefatigable  industry."  Stone  also  left  in  manu- 
script an  allegory  entitled  "  The  Immortality  of  Authors." 
It  was  published  after  his  death,  and  because  of  "  its 
lively  fancy,  sound  judgment,  and  correct  taste,"  says  the 
Rev.  David  Brewster,  has  run  into  many  editions.  Poor 
Stone  was  cast  down  by  a  fever  in  1757,  while  in  his 
30th  year.  Who  knows  what  one  so  gifted  would  have 
accomplished  had  he  seen  60  summers  instead  of  30  1  He 
had  a  great  love  for  his  mother,  who  survived  him  two 
years,  and  who  was  provided  for  in  life  by  the  Duchess  of 
Atholl,  as  a  testimony  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  her 
gifted  son.  Although  generally  called  Jerome,  the  real 
name  of  this  gifted  son  of  Sooonie  was  Jeremiah.  Here  is 
an  extract  from  the  register  of  baptisms  of  the  Parish  of 
Scoonie  kept  in  H.M.  Register  House,  Edinburgh  :  — 

"  1727,  March  17 — Jeremiah,  lawfull  son  to  William  Stons  and 
Janet  Hegges,  in  Leven,  was  baptized  in  face  of  the  congregation." 


90  KAMBLKS    IN    SCOONIK    AND    \VKMYSS. 


AROUND   THE    PARISH. 


Scoonie  Burial  Places. 

rVURING  the  past  century  a  great  many  burial  mounds 
*-'  have  been  opened  in  Scotland,  and  in  many  instances 
the  discoveries  made  give  us  what  may  be  spoken  of  as 
moonlight  glimpses  of  the  days  when  "  wild  in  woods  the 
noble  savage  ran."  When  ancient  Caledonia  was  thickly 
covered  with  vast  forests,  the  inhabitants  were  thinly 
scattered  along  the  fringes  of  the  woods,  and  by  the  sands 
of  the  seashore.  Their  lives  were  like  the  vapour  spoken 
to  by  the  Apostle  James — "  they  appeared  only  for  a  little 
while  and  then  they  vanished  away."  The}'  vanished 
away  without  leaving  any  written  records  of  the  lives  they 
lived,  and  the  histories  of  the  savage  races  lie  buried  in 
the  mounds  which  are  met  with  in  all  parts  of  the  country. 
The  contents  of  these  mounds  are  very  similar.  To-day  a 
tumulus  is  opened  which  contains  a  heap  of  flint  flakes, 
for  making  a  new  supply  of  arrows  in  the  "dim  beyond  ;  " 
to-morrow  a  pre-historic  cemetery  is  laid  bare  in  which 
there  are  many  rude  stone  cists.  In  the  cists,  skeletons, 
unshapely  sun-dried  clay  food  and  drinking  vessels,  and 
flint  arrow  and  spear  heads  are  found.  The  flint  imple- 
ments of  warfare  take  us  back  to  the  Stone  Age ;  and 
the  food  and  drinking  vessels  tell  us  of  a  time  when  the 
dead  of  Scotland  were  buried  with  a  supply  of  food  for 
their  "long  journe}'." 


AROUND    THE    PARISH.  91 

Scoonie  Parish  has  provided  more  than  one  burial  mound 
which  give  us  a  peep  at  the  parisli  of  other  days.  In  the 
"Old  Statistical  Account "  Mr  Swan  says  : — 

"  The  only  antiquities  this  parish  can  boast  of  are  some  stone 
coffins  which  have  been  found  to  the  eastward  of  the  river,  with 
human  bones,  supposed  to  have  been  buried  there  in  the  ninth 
century,  when  a  battle  was  fought  on  these  grounds  between  the 
Scots  and  the  Danes." 

If  Mr  Swan's  supposition  is  right,  it  would  give  colour  to 
the  idea  that  the  Standing  Stones  of  Lundin  had  been 
erected  to  the  memory  of  some  Danish  chiefs  who  fell  in 
the  deadly  combat  which  was  waged  between  Danish 
invaders  and  the  early  inhabitants  of  the  sunny  slopes  of 
Largo  and  Scoonie. 

But  in  1821  a  much  more  interesting  relic  of  antiquity 
than  that  of  the  ninth  century  was  opened  in  a  field  on 
the  estate  of  Aithernie.  When  digging  moulding  sand  for 
Leven  Foundry,  the  workmen  struck  right  into  the  heart 
of  an  ancient  tumulus.  This  cemetery  of  pre-historic 
times  contained  as  many  as  twenty  rude  stone  cists. 
These  cists  were  typical  of  the  pre-historic  burial  places 
found  throughout  the  country.  They  were  constructed  of 
slabs  placed  on  edge,  with  a  covering  stone,  and  cemented 
with  clay  puddling.  Above  the  coffins  was  a  covering  of 
stones,  the  stones  having  hundreds  of  years  before  been  so 
firmly  cemented  together  with  clay  and  sand  that  the 
workmen  required  the  aid  of  picks  to  enable  them  to 
"  rifle  the  tombs."  Small  urns  were  found  in  two  of  the 
coffins,  and  five  of  them  contained  larger  urns,  14  inches 
in  diameter  and  24  inches  in  depth,  and  in  another  cist 
quantities  of  charred  wood  beads  were  discovered.  All  the 
coffins,  except  the  five  in  which  were  the  large  urns,  con- 
tained human  bones,  and  innumerable  bones  were  found 
outwith  the  mouths  of  the  cists. 


92 


HAMCLES    IN    SCOONIK    AND    WKMYSS. 


The  Scoonie   Stone. 


AROUND    THE    PARISH. 


93 


And  in  addition  to  the  Aithernie  find,  we  have  the 
famous  Scoonie  Stone,  which  was  discovered  and  handed 
over  to  the  Antiquarian  Museum  in  1866.  The  stone  is  thus 
described  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Antiquarian  Society : — 

"  The  stone  measures  3  feet  6  inches  in  length,  2  feet  4  inches  in 
breadth,  and  4  inches  in  thickness.  The  stone  displays  on  the 
upper  part  the  so-called  "elephant"  or  beaked  animal,  its  ex- 
tremities terminating  in  scrolls  ;  and  below  it  apparently  a  deer 
hunt ;  a  rider  on  horseback,  and  in  front  of  him  a  dog  on  the  point 
of  seizing  a  full  antlered  stag,  with  a  javelin  apparently  buried  in 
its  side.  Below  these  is  another  horseman,  and  in  front  of  him  a 
dog,  and  below  the  dog  a  third  horseman.  At  the  lower  angle  of 
the  stone  is  cut  a  small  cross.  Along  the  whole  left  of  the  stone  is 
incised  an  Ogham  inscription.  On  the  reverse  is  sculptured  a 
Latin  cross,  with  a  plain  circular  disk  in  the  centre,  and  the  limbs 
filled  up  with  interlaced  rope  or  knot  work  ;  the  scroll  termination 
of  the  nondescript  animal  (like  the  dog-headed  animals  on  the 
Ulbsteii  and  Brodick  Stones)  appears  over  the  left  limb  of  the 
cross." 

The  Ogham  alphabet  is  supposed  to  take  us  back  to  the 
days  of  the  Roman  occupation  of  Britain. 

On  Durie  Vale  farm,  on  the  borders  of  the  Parish  of 
Scoonie,  Mr  John  Wallace,  farmer,  laid  bare  two  stone 
cists  five  years  ago.  Centuries  after  the  tumulus  of 
Aithernie  had  been  abandoned  as  a  place  of  sepulture,  the 
God's-acre  on  the  little  hill  by  the  burn  of  Scoonie  became 
the  burial  place  for  the  parish.  As  far  back  as  1055,  the 
Church  of  Scoonie  was  granted  to  the  Culdees  of  Loch 
Leven  by  the  Bishop  of  St  Andrews.  All  the  movement 
and  the  force  of  centuries  of  the  little  Parish  of 
Scoonie  have  been  garnered  here.  The  men  and  women 
who  toiled  in  the  fields  ;  the  men  svho  commanded 
the  ships  which  carried  Durie  coals  to  Holland  ; 
the  men  who  plied  the  shuttle  in  the  town  of  Leven, 
and  the  women  who  sjx-nt  many  a  weary  hour  at  the 


94  RAMBLES     IN    SCOONIK    AND    WEMYSS. 

spinning  wheel,  have  all  found  a  last  resting  place  on 
the  knoll  around  the  site  of  the  old  church  which  nine 
hundred  years  ago  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Loch  Leven 
Culdees.  The  resident  of  to-day  who  has  "  fallen  on 
sleep  "  finds  a  last  resting  place  side  by  side  with  the  old 
world  dreamer  of  centuries  ago.  As  a  burial  vault  for  the 
Durie  family,  the  fragment  of  the  old  church  presents 
a  striking  contrast  to  that  which  the  building  did 
when  Moncrieff,  the  noted  "  keeper  of  Conventicles," 
thundered  his  protests  from  the  pulpit,  and  when  the 
villagers  congregated  in  a  knot  and  discussed  the  latest 
vagaries  of  Charles  L,  the  last  wedding,  or  the  new-made 
grave.  The  old  bell,  to  whose  music  the  hearts  of  Scoonie 
people  had  beaten,  is  no  longer  witli  us,  and  the  sun-dial 
has  ceased  to  case  its  silent  shadow  on  spots  where  the 
remains  of  parishioners  have  been  gathered  to  their 
mother  earth.  A  glance,  too,  at  the  inscriptions  on  many 
of  the  grave  stones  indicates  a  very  different  faith  in  a 
future  life  to  that  held  by  the  warriors  who  were  buried 
with  their  food  vessels  and  their  flint  implements  of  war- 
fare— "  Perpetual  changes  glide  on  in  eternal  continuity." 

"  By  tlie  same  law  those  globes  wheel  round, 
Each  drawing  each,  yet  all  still  found 
In  one  eternal  system  bound, 
One  order  to  fulfil." 

It  may  be  interesting  to  state  that  the  first  extension 
of  the  cemetery  was  made  in  1841,  the  second  in  1866, 
just  after  the  parish  had  been  visited  by  the  cholera 
scourge,  the  third  in  1886,  and  in  the  spring  of  1905  a 
fourth  was  carried  through.  The  improvement  of  1905 
was  undoubtedly  the  most  important  of  all  the  changes. 
Something  like  1 :]  acres  were  added  to  the  ground,  an 
entrance  made  from  the  north  and  a  neat  house  built  for 


AROUND    THE    PARISH.  95 

the  superintendent.  The  extension  cost  the  Parish 
Council  something  like  £2100 ;  the  addition  of  1886 
necessitated  an  outlay  of  ,£535  3s. 

There  are  some  quaint-looking  memorials  in  Scoonie 
Cemetery,  but  there  is  an  absence  of  the  striking  epitaphs 
which  are  common  to  some  places  of  sepulture.  Un- 
doubtedly the  most  notable  among  the  older  stones  is 
that  which  marks  the  resting-place  of  Thomas  Gourlay  of 
Banbeath,  and  which  bears  the  date  1641.  A  notable 
tribute  is  paid  to  Mr  Andrew  Wilkie,  who  was  the  first 
Chief  Magistrate  of  the  Burgh  of  Leven,  and  who  died 
in  1878.  The  memorial  is  spoken  of  as  an  affectionate 
tribute  of  "  loving  and  sorrowing  friends,"  and  the 
inscription  concludes  :• — "  Take  him  for  all  in  all,  we  shall 
not  look  upon  his  like  again."  The  inscription  on  the 
monument  erected  over  the  grave  of  the  Rev.  Dr  George 
Brewster  presents  a  striking  contrast  to  the  words  one 
reads  on  the  handsome  marble  stone  erected  in  memory  of 
the  Rev.  James  Blackwood,  who  took  up  duty  in  the 
parish  in  1866.  Dr  Brewster  died  in  the  42nd  year  of  his 
ministry ;  poor  Blackwood  had  only  been  two  years  in  the 
parish  when  he  fell  on  sleep.  And  so  we  are  told  that  "his 
sun  went  down  when  it  was  yet  day."  A  Runic  cross 
marks  the  grave  of  the  Rev.  Dr  Duncan — who  is  still  re- 
membered for  his  "Genius  and  Common  Sense."  The  Rev. 
Adam  Forman  of  the  Free  Church,  like  Dr  Brewster,  was 
71  years  when  he  died. 

Leven  Golf  Links. 

THE    INNERLEVKX    CLUB. 

Innerleven  Golf  Club  was  formed  in  1820.  It  must 
not  for  a  moment  be  thought,  however,  that  1820  was  the 
first  year  on  which  the  Royal  and  Ancient  game  was 


96  RAMBLKS    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

played  on  the  classic  links  of  Dubbieside.  Some  people 
may  tell  us  that  Outram  was  taking  the  poet's  proverbial 
licence  when  he  sung  of  the  days  when 

Adam  bathed  in  Leven  tide, 
And  Eve  reposed  at  Dubby  side  ; 

but  it  will  not  be  a  difficult  matter  to  persuade  golfers  that 
as  far  back  as  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  men  in 
tile  hats  and  claw-hammer  coats  chased  the  ball  and 
wielded  the  cleek  on  the  "velvet  links  "  which  stretched 
between  the  Leven  and  the  old  harbour  of  Methil.  Mr 
W.  Dalrymple,  the  writer  of  the  article  on  Innerleven  in 
"  British  Golf  Links,"  states  that  he  had  seen  an  account 
for  the  price  of  a  club,  which  bore  the  date  1761.  This 
takes  us  back  to  the  days  when  the  Hon.  James  Wemyss 
of  Wemyss  owned  the  lands  of  Wemyss  and  Tnnerleven, 
and  just  a  year  before  Mr  Wemyss  entered  Parliament  as 
the  Member  for  the  county  of  Fife. 

It  was  in  1867  that  the  Innerleven  Club  finally 
abandoned  the  Dubbieside  course  of  nine  holes  and  cook 
up  the  links  which  stretch  between  Scoonie  Burn  and  the 
village  of  Lundin  Links.  The  following  is  the  motion 
which  was  unanimously  adopted  on  6th  September  1867: — 

"  Taking  into  consideration  the  rough  state  and  yearly 
diminishing  breadth  of  Dubbieside  links,  it  would  be  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Innerleven  Golfing  Society  if  they  were  to  discontinue 
holding  their  competitions  on  the  said  links,  and  in  lien  adopt  the 
popular  green  at  Leven." 

Smoke  from  the  pit  had  in  1867  only  begun  to 
cast  its  shadows  on  Kinnarchie  Braes  and  Aberhill  and 
the  greens  which  lay  between  Nicol  Malcolm's  dairy  and 
Jenny  Nicol's  well.  After  1869  the  course  on  which 
many  a  stift'  battle  had  been  fought  had  begun  to  be 
gradually  encroached  upon  by  mineral  developments,  and 


AROUND    THE    PARISH. 


97 


the  encroachment  has  gone  on  year  after  year,  by  coalpits, 
redd-bings,  and  railway  sidings,  till  to-day  there  is  not  a 
patch  of  the  turf  of  the  old  course  to  be  seen.  If  Dr 
Graham,  the  laureate  of  the  Club  in  its  Dubbieside  days, 
could  come  back  from  the  "dim  beyond"  and  take  a  peep 
from  Kinnarchie  Braes  at  the  once  "blissful  spot,"  he  would 
be  apt,  instead  of  indulging  in  poetry,  to  use  one  or  other  of 
the  epithets  which  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  red-coats  of  the 
olden  time  when  the  "  leather  "  was  trapped  in  the  whins 


Innerleven  and  Thistle  Golf  Club-Houses. 

(By  permission  of  Mr  A.  Hogg,  Chemist.) 

which  protected  the  "  Whin  Hole,"  or  fell  short  of  the 
ridge  which  made  the  "  High  Hole"  one  of  the  most  sport- 
ing on  the  green. 

In   1841,  long  before  golf  had  penetrated  into  every 
part  of  the  world,  and  certainly  before  it  was  looked  upon 
by  communities   generally   as    a    health-giving    game,    Dr 
Graham  wrote  of  it  thus  : — 
G 


98  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

Wha  would  be  free  from  doctors'  bills, 
From  trash  o'  powders  and  o'  pills, 
Will  find  a  cure  for  a'  his  ills 

On  the  Links  o'  Innerleven  : 
For  there  whar  lasses  bleach  their  claes, 
And  bairnies  toddle  doun  the  braes, 
The  merry  golfer  daily  plays 

On  the  Links  o'  Innerleven. 

In  the  same  poem  the  laureate  gives  us  the  following 
glimpse  at  the  old  clubhouse,  where  many  a  keen  tussle 
was  fought  over  again  : — 

Sae  hie  ye  to  the  golfers'  ha', 

And  there,  arranged  alang  the  wa", 

O'  presses  ye  will  see  a  raw 

At  the  Club  o'  Innerleven. 
There  from  some  friendly  box  ye'll  draw 
A  club  and  second-handed  ba' — 
A  Gourlay  pill 's  the  best  o'  a' 

For  health  at  Innerleven. 

Gourlay  was  a  famous  ball  maker.      In  1848,  Dr  Graham 
sung  thus  of  the  advent  of  the  gutta-percha  ball: — 

Though  gouf  be  of  our  games  most  rare, 
Yet,  truth  to  speak,  the  tear  and  wear 
0'  balls  was  felt  to  be  severe, 

And  source  o'  great  vexation  : 
When  Gourlay's  balls  cost  half-a-crown, 
And  Allan's  not  a  farthing  down, 
The  feck  o's  wad  be  harried  soon 

In  this  era  o'  taxation. 

Right  fain  we  were  to  be  content 
Wi'  used-up  balls  new  lickt  wi'  paint, 
That  ill  concealed  baith  scar  and  rent — 

Balls  scarcely  fit  for  younkers — 
And  though  our  best  wi'  them  we  tried, 
And  nicely  every  club  applied, 
They  whirred  and  fuffed  and  dookcd  and  shied, 

And  sklintit  into  bunkers. 

But  times  are  changed — we  dinna  care 
Though  we  may  ne'er  drive  leather  mair, 
Be't  stuffed  wi'  feathers  or  wi'  hair — 

For  noo  we're  independent : 
At  last  a  substance  we  ha'e  got 
Frae  which,  for  scarce  mair  than  a  groat, 
A  ba'  comes  that  can  row  and  stot — 

A  ba'  the  most  transcendent. 


AROUND     THE     PARISH.  99 

Hail,  gutta-percha,  precious  gum  ! 
O'er  Scotland's  links  lang  may  ye  bum. 
Some  purse-proud  billies  haw  and  hum, 

And  say  ye're  douf  at  fleein'  ; 
But  let  them  try  ye  fairly  out 
Wi'  ony  balls  for  days  about, 
Your  merits  they  will  loudly  tout, 

And  own  they  ha'e  been  leein'. 

The  names  of  the  leading  families  of  mid  and  east 
Fife  appear  on  the  roll  of  membership.  As  one  turns  over 
the  pages,  he  comes  across  the  names  of  the  Wemysses  of 
Wemyss  Castle ;  Anstruthers  of  Balcaskie  ;  Oswalds  of 
Dunnikier ;  Balfours  of  Balbirnie  ;  the  Bethunes  of  Blebo 
and  of  Balfour  ;  Rintouls  of  Lahill  ;  Christies  of  Durie 
Haigs  of  Ramornie ;  and  Gilmours  of  Montrave.  One 
of  the  founders  of  the  Innerleven  Club  was  Mr  James 
Peter,  of  the  Kirkland  Works,  on  the  banks  of  Leven 
Water.  Mr  James  Peter  was  a  captain  of  the  club  in 
1826,  and  others  of  the  name  to  fill  the  chair  were  Mr 
John  Peter,  1842  ;  Mr  H.  Tandy  Peter,  1844  to  1868  ;  and 
Mr  Tom  Peter  in  1861.  The  latter  wrote  a  book  of 
"  Golfing  Reminiscences."  He  and  his  brother  James 
were  credited  with  devising  the  hand -hammering  of  balls, 
which  led  to  the  ultimate  marking  of  guttas. 

The  first  amateur  tournament  was  held  on  the  links  of 
the  "City  by  the  Sea"  in  1858;  but  three  years  before 
that — April  1 855 — Captain  Wemyss  of  Wemyss  Castle 
was  commissioned  by  the  Innerleven  Club  to  raise  the 
question  of  a  tournament  with  the  Royal  and  Ancient 
Club  of  St  Andrews.  And  at  that  time  there  was  no  club 
in  the  country  which  could  bring  forward  a  better  foursome 
of  amateurs  than  the  club  whose  headquarters  was  on  the 
"  velvet  links  "  of  Dubbieside. 

The  present  club-house,  which  was  erected  from  plans 
prepared  by  Mr  Gillespie,  St  Andrews,  is  splendidly 


100 


RAMBLES    IS    SCOONIE    AND     WEMYSS. 


situated,  a  view  of  the  entire  course  being  obtained  from 
some  of  the  windows.  The  red  bricks  and  the  red  roof 
make  a  striking  picture,  looking  from  the  east  across  the 
links  or  the  sandy  beach. 


Mayor}  [Leven 

Mr  John  Adamson,  Captain,  Innerleven  Golf  Club. 

Mr  John  Adamson  is  captain  of  the  Club.  Mr  Adam- 
son  is  the  oldest  playing  member  of  the  club,  having  joined 
in  1851,  when  the  club  played  on  Dubbieside  Links 
After  long  residence  abroad,  he  returned  to  Leven  in  1870 
and  took  up  farming  at  Bankhead,  but  has  latterly  resided 


AROUND    THE    PARISH. 


101 


in  Leven.     He  plays  a  wonderful  game  for  a  man  who  has 
played  golf  since  1851. 

Mr  Wm.  Shepherd  WAS  appointed  Secretary  of  the  Club 
in  1899.     It  is  sixteen  years  since  he  came  to  Leven  and 


Mayor]  [Lrven 

Mr  Wm.  Shepherd,  Hon.  Secy.,  Innerleven  Golf  Club. 

took  up  business.  He  learnt  his  golf  on  Musselburgh  and 
Gullane  Links.  His  stay  in  Leven  has  quickened  his 
interest  in  the  game,  and  he  is  one  of  the  steadiest  players 


v^<  v*ij.c*.ll\v 

interest 


102 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    VVEMYSS. 


on  the  course,  in  1905  carrying  off  the  Wemyss  Trophy 
with  a  score  of  77.  Mr  Shepherd  is  as  genial  in  his  busi- 
ness relations  as  solicitor  and  bank  agent  as  he  is  on  the 
golf  course. 

Mr  James  Bell  is  the  Treasurer  of  the  Club.  He  was 
appointed  in  1902,  and  fulfils  the  duties  with  marked 
ability.  Mr  Bell  is  a  native  of  Leven.  His  neat  pitching 
is  a  feature  of  his  game  on  the  links. 

The  following  is  a  complete   list  of  the  names  of  the 
Captains  since  the  founding  of  the  Innerleven : — 


Rev.  Geo.  Brewster,  1821,  1822 
Alex.  Wallace,  -  -  1825 
John  Wallace,  1823  and  1857 
C.  M.  Christie,  1824  and  1833 
James  Peter,  -  -  -  1826 
John  Haig,  1827,  1845,  and  1862 
Henry  Balfour,  -  -  1828 
Thomas  Greig,  -  -  1829 
Robert  Bisset,  -  -  1830 
Dr  George  Forbes,  -  1831 

James  Simpson,  -  -  1832 
Robert  Haig,  -  -  -  1834 
James  Fernie,  -  -  1835 
David  Wallace,  -  -  1836 
David  Wylie,  -  -  1837 
James  Balfour,  1838  and  1839 
Rev.  Thomas  Cutler,  -  1840 
James  Anderson,  sen.,  -  1841 
John  Peter,  -  -  -  1842 
David  M.  Adamson,  -  1843 
H.  T.  Peter,  1844  and  1863 
John  Howie,  -  -  1846 

P   S.  Deas,  1847  and  1848 

John  Wood,  -  -  -  1849 
Wm.  Glass,  -  -  -  1850 
H.  Thomas  Peter,  -  1851 

James  Greenhill,  -  -  1852 
Adam  Morrison,  -  -  1853 
Robert  Balfour,  -  -  1854 
Jas.  H.  E.  Wemyss,  -  1855 
John  Wallace,  -  -  1857 
J.  T.  Oswald,  1856,  1868,  1869 
Samuel  C.  Thomson,  -  1858 


William  Haig,  -        -     1859 

Dr  Neil  A.  Kennedy,  -  1860 
Andrew  Wilkie,  -  -  1861 
James  Anderson,  jun.,  -  1864 
John  Dunn,  -  -  -  1865 
Wm.  Henry  Haig,  -  -  1866 
Robert  Rintoul,  -  -  1867 
Robert  T.  Boothby,  -  -  1870 
Sir  R.  Anstruther,  Bart  ,  -  1871 
Robert  Christie,  1872  and  1873 
Sir  J.  Gilmour,  Bart.,  1874, 

1875,  and  1876 

Charles  Anderson,  -  -  1877 
John  Balfour,  -  -  1878 

R.  M.  Christie,  1879  and  1880 
R.  G .  E.  Wemyss  of  Wemyss 

Castle,  1881,  1882,  and  1883 
Alan  Stewart,  -  -  -  1884 
E.  Balfour  of  Balbirnie,  -  1885 
Randle  Jackson,  -  -  1886 
Rev.  D.  Brewster,  1887  and  188S 
G.  T.  Chiene,  1889  and  1890 

W.  L.  Boase,  -  -  -  1891 
John  M'Kee  Lees,  -  -  1892 
H.  V.  Haig,  1893  and  1894 

Charles  Cook,  W.S.,  -  -  1895 
Thomas  C.  Balfour,  -  -  1896 
John  Oswald,  -  -  -  1897 
R.  M.  Pilkington,  1898  and  1899 
J.  H.  Smith,  -  -  -  1900 
Rev.  C.  Durward,  D.D.,  -  1901 
W.  H.  Cook,  C.A.,  1902 and  1903 
John  Adamson,  1904  and  1905 


AROUND    THE    PARISH. 


103 


LEVEN  THISTLE  CLUB. 

The  Thistle  Golf  Club  was  formed  in  1868,  just  a  year 
after  the  Innerleven  Club  took  up  its  abode  on  the  banks 
of  the  Scoonie  burn.  The  artisans  of  Leven  had  played 
golf  between  Scoonie  and  the  "  Mile  Dyke "  long  before 


Mayor] 


{Leven 


Mr  J.  Ogilvy  Shepherd,  Captain,  Thistle  Golf  Club. 

1868,  but  this  was  really  the  first  attempt  to  form  a  club 
which  was  to  maintain  the  same  relation  to  the  Innerleven 
as  the  St  Andrews  bears  to  the  Royal  and  Ancient.  The 
membership  for  the  first  year  was  as  small  as  the  humble 


104  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMVSS. 

coin  which  constituted  membership,  but  shopkeepers  and 
artisans  soon  crowded  into  the  Club,  and  the  record  of  the 
Thistle  is  one  of  uninterrupted  progress.  To-day  there  are 
upwards  of  600  names  on  the  books.  For  a  good  many 
years  the  Club  was  without  "  house  or  hall,''  but  ultimately 
a  step  in  the  right  direction  was  taken  by  the  acquisition 
of  a  wooden  clubhouse,  the  renting  of  a  building  came 
next,  and  then  came  the  purchase  of  the  Innerleven  old 
house,  and  afterwards  the  extension  of  the  building.  The 
old  building  and  the  extension  cost  £2500.  The  Club  is  as 
wealthy  in  trophies  as  it  is  in  excellent  exponents  of  the 
game  of  golf.  Among  the  trophies  are  the  Campbell 
Medal,  the  Reid  Trophy,  the  Porter  Medal,  the  Findlay 
Shield,  the  Gilmour  Jug,  and  the  Baird  Cup.  The  prizes 
are  contested  for  by  large  fields  of  competitors,  and  year 
by  year  the  standard  of  play  is  raised  to  a  point  which 
charms  the  most  exacting.  The  Baird  Cup  is  the  club 
championship  trophy,  and  its  winner  has  to  cany  out 
success  by  the  double  test  of  score  and  match  play.  There 
are  many  excellent  exponents  of  the  game  in  the  club,  and 
the  management  can  put  a  team  in  the  field  any  day  which 
is  difficult  to  beat.  The  match  playing  members  have 
gathered  numerous  honours  for  the  club,  and  the  "Evening 
Times"  Shield  has  three  times  adorned  the  walls  of  the 
clubhouse. 

Mr  J.  Ogilvy  Shepherd  was  appointed  Captain  of  the 
Thistle  in  1904.  Mr  Shepherd  learned  his  golf  on  the 
Mortonhall  course,  near  Edinburgh.  He  joined  his  brother 
in  business  in  Leven  six  years  ago,  arid  is  as  popular 
among  the  members  of  the  Innerleven  as  he  is  in  the 
Thistle.  Mr  J.  Henderson  succeeded  Mr  J.  T.  Ireland  as 
secretary  in  January  1904.  Mr  Ireland  was  secretary  for 
the  Thistle  for  twenty  years,  and  there  is  not  a  golfer  in 


AROUND    THE    PARISH. 


105 


the  "  Kingdom  "  who  would  grudge  him  liberal  acknow- 
ledgment for  the  good  work  he  did  in  connection  with  the 
game  at  a  time  when  it  was  not  so  popular  as  it  is  at 
present.  The  Thistle  is  positively  a  model  club  for  artisans 
among  the  clubs  of  Scotland,  and  the  position  it  occupies 


rir  J.  T.  Ireland,  for  20  Years  Secretary,  Thistle  Golf  Club. 

to-day  is  in  a  large  degree  attributable  to  the  good  work 
done  during  the  past  quarter  of  a  century  by  Mr  Ireland 
and  other  officials.  Mr  Henderson  makes  a  worthy  suc- 
cessor to  Mr  Ireland.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  notice  the  quiet 
and  unostentatious  way  he  does  his  work.  He  is  a  native 


106  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

of  Leven  and  learned  his  golf  on  the  links  of  the  burgh, 
Mr  James  Neaves  is  the  treasurer.  He  has  filled  the  post 
with  marked  ability  for  ten  years,  and  is  ranked  among 
the  best  players  of  the  Club.  The  following  is  a  complete 
list  of  the  Captains  of  the  Club  since  the  date  of  its 
inception  : — 

Alex.  Grandison.          David  Davidson.  J.  C.  Holland. 


James  Morris. 
Henry  Landale. 
George  Lowe. 
Andrew  Goodall. 
James  Wilkie. 

D.  M.  Stewart. 
George  Bruce. 
David  Jackson. 
James  Kerr. 
Alex.  Greig. 

Wm.  Robertson. 
Thomas  Porter. 
Robert  Robertson. 
Dr  Crole. 
J.  O.  Shepherd. 

The  three  Clubs,  the  Innerleveu,  the  Thistle,  and 
Lundin  Links,  are  responsible  for  the  upkeep  of  the  course, 
which  is  leased  from  Sir  John  Gilmour,  Bart.,  and  Mr  R. 
Maitland  Christie  of  Durie.  Mr  John  Hunter,  Edin- 
burgh, is  Captain  of  the  Luudin  Links  Club,  and  Mr 
Thomas  Nicol  fulfils  the  duties  of  Secretary. 

Young  players  may  be  pleased  to  have  the  names  of 
the  respective  holes  : — 

1.  The  Table.  7.  North  Sunnybraes.  13.  Sea. 

2.  The  Howe.  8.  Station.  14.  Silverburn. 

3.  The  South  Seg.     9.  Lundin.  15.  North  Seg. 

4.  The  Dyke.  10.  High  Hole.  16.  Dyke  Neuk. 

5.  The  Signal.          11.  South  Sunnybraes.  17.   The  Railway. 

6.  The  Knox.  12.  The  Trows.  18.  Scoonie. 

ON    THE    COURSE    IN    1650. 

As  the  thousands  who  annually  disport  themselves  on 
the  links  are  rightly  thinking  more  of  golf  than  of  events 
connected  with  the  distant  past,  one  may  be  pardoned 
recalling  that  in  February  1651  Charles  II.  appeared  on 
the  links  in  holiday  humour,  if  not  to  follow  the  cleek  and 
the  ball,  to  "  ride  at  the  glove."  James  VI.  and  Charles  I. 


AROUND    THE    PARISH.  107 

learned  their  golf  at  Dunfermline,  on  a  stretch  of  ground 
to  the  north  of  the  ancient  city  boundary.  In  the  autumn 
of  1650  Charles  subscribed  the  "  Dunfermline  Declara- 
tion," in  presence  of  the  Earl  of  Wemyss  and  others,  but 
he  had  little  intention  of  abiding  by  the  Declaration.  War 
broke  out,  and  on  1st  January  1651  Charles  was  crowned 
at  Scone.  Shortly  afterwards  he  made  a  pilgrimage 
through  Fife  with  a  view  to  inspect  the  fortifications  of 
the  Forth.  He  was  at  Burntisland  on  12th  February,  and 
on  the  13th  he  was  the  guest  of  the  Earl  of  Wemyss  at 
Wemyss  Castle.  Here  is  an  entry  from  Lament's  diary  : — 

"  1651,  Feb.  13. — While  the  King's  Majest.  lodged  att  the  place 
of  the  Weyms,  the  Lairds  of  Auchmoutie  and  Kincraigie  were  both 
knighted.  Upon  the  morowe  after,  as  he  came  alonge  the  coast,  he 
knighted  Collonell  Scott,  in  Leven  sands,  upon  the  head  of  his 
owiie  regiment  of  horse,  with  his  Louet. -Collonell  also,  both  att  one 
tyme." 

In  another  entry  Lamont  tells  us  that  the  King  "  came 
alonge  the  coast  by  Levin,  Largo,  and  Ellie,  and  lodged 
att  the  Laird  of  Enster's  house  all  night ;  the  15th  and 
16th,  being  Saturday  and  Sunday,  with  the  E.  Crawfoord 
att  Struthers." 

LEVEN  LADIES'  CLUB. 

The  Leven  Ladies'  Golf  Club  is  one.  of  the  few  ladies' 
clubs  in  the  country  which  can  boast  of  an  eighteen  hole 
course.  The  course  is  nicely  laid  out  and  affords  good 
sport.  The  Club  was  formed  in  August  1891,  and  the 
course  was  opened  in  June  1892.  The  clubhouse  is  a 
modest  one,  but  a  new  house,  of  which  a  sketch  is  given, 
is  being  erected  (1905) — Mr  A.  C.  Dewar,  Leven,  is  the 
architect.  Mrs  Anderson  of  Norton  was  the  first  presi- 
dent. In  1893  Mrs  Christie  of  Durie  was  elected  presi- 


108 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


dent,  and  the  vice-president's  chair  was  taken  by  Mrs 
Anderson.  Since  Mrs  Anderson  retired,  the  duties  of 
vice-president  have  been  fulfilled  in  turn  by  Mrs  Crole,  Mr 
T.  C.  Balfour,  Dr  Crole,  and  Mr  Geo.  Donaldson.  Miss 
Marjory  P.  Wilkie,  who  is  an  excellent  exponent  of  the 
game  of  golf,  has  been  secretary  of  the  Club  from  the  date 
of  its  inception. 


Leven  Ladies'  Golf  Club  House. 
THE  LEVEN  CLUB. 

Assuming  that  the  Iiinerleven  and  the  Thistle  Golf 
Clubs  met  all  the  requirements,  the  Leven  Club  was 
allowed  to  lapse  in  1884.  The  Club  was  instituted  in 
1846  or  1817.  According  to  the  records,  the  Club  was 
formed  on  22nd  April  1846,  but  Mr  W.  Dalrymple,  who 
made  a  careful  search,  tells  us  that  the  original  silver  medal 
presented  by  Mr  Matthew  Elder  bears  the  inscription: — 
"  Leven  Golf  Club,  instituted  20th  March  1847."  At  the 


AROUND    THE]  PARISH.  109 

formation  of  the  Club  the  entry-money  was  the  modest 
sum  of  one  shilling  and  j,  the*  green  money  was  fixed  at 
threepence.  Tn  *1849  the^ entry-money  was'^raised  to 
2s  6d;  in  1850,  to  3s  6d ;  in  1851,  to  5s;  in  1868,  to 
10s  6d ;  and  by  1857  the  green  money  had  been  raised 
from  threepence  to  sixpenee.^The  record  of  charges  here 
presented  does  not  imply  a  tendency  to  extravagance  in 
the  management  of  the  Club.^It  rather  suggests  stages  of 
progress  and  development.  When  the  Club  was  instituted 
the  members  in  their  spare  hours  pulled  the  bent  and 
made  the  greens  between  Scoonie  and  the  Mile  Dyke  ;  but 
as  time  went  on,  and  the  members  gained  proficiency  in 
the  game,  the  demand  arose  for  better  greens,  and  men 
were  employed  to  do  the  work.  Mr  Matthew  Elder  was  a 
great  friend  of  the  Club.  He  was  the  owner  of 'a  washing 
house  on  the  banks  of  the  Scoonie  burn,  and  in  1853  he 
gave  the  Club  the  use  of  the  "  hall  "  for  a  year  free  as  a 
clubhouse.  Between  1850  and  1870  the  Leven  Club 
frequently  played  St  Andrews,  Edinburgh,  Crail,  Elie,  and 
the  Wemyss  Clubs,  and  now  and  again  '•  convival  meet- 
ings ''  were  held  after  the  supremacy  on  the  greens  had 
been  decided  by  the  competitions.  There  is  a  breezy  pic- 
nic feeling  about  the  following  entry  in  the  old  minute 
book  : — 

"August  4th,  1858. — Agreeable  to  previous  arrangements,  a 
goodly  muster  of  the  L.G.C.  met  at  4  P  one  at  the  west  end  of 
Leven  Bridge  to-day,  and  by  the  kindness  of  Messrs  Brown  and 
Wilson  were  conveyed  by  carts  to  Wemyss,  where  on  our  arrival 
we  found  the  Wemyss  Golf  Club  ready  to  receive  us,  and  on 
making  such  arrangements  as  was  necessnry,  eight  couple  started 
with  willing  hearts  and  ready  hands  to  a  glorious  game  at  their 
favourite  pastime." 

After   the   first   round   the   weather   broke  down,   the 
game  was  given  up,  and  the  players  adjourned   to  Cairns' 


110 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


Inn,  where  a  "repast"  was  provided.  Toasts  were  given  and 
songs  rendered,  and,  despite  the  deluge  of  rain,  the  Leven 
players  arrived  in  the  evening  at  their  respective  homes  on 
the  banks  of  the  Leven  and  Scoonie  "as  safe  and  as 
happy  as  when  they  left."  In  Nov.  1856  it  was  decided  to 
"  employ  two  men  and  a  cart  to  clear  and  level  the  rough 
places  on  the  links,  particularly  the  putting  greens,"  and 
in  1857  a  movement  was  set  on  foot  to  construct  bunkers. 
Little  progress  was  made  with  the  construction  of  hazards 
until  1865  6,  when  the  Club  had  the  assistance  of  Tom 
Morris.  The  course  was  extended  in  1868  to  one  of  18 
holes.  The  competition  of  1869  took  place  on  the  ex- 
tended course,  and  it  was  then  agreed  that  all  club 
matches  be  played  on  "  the  extended  course." 

The  following  is  a  complete  list  of  the  names  of  the 
Cnptains  of  the  Club  from  the  day  of  its  inception  until 
the  date  of  the  closing  year  : — 

1847  Thomas  Home,  baker. 

1848  Robert  Smith,  draper. 

1849  Matthew  Elder. 

1850  Peter  Keddie,  saddler. 

1851  Robert  Bruce. 

1852  John  Henderson. 

1853  David  Malcolm. 

1854  John  Davidson. 

1855  John  Patrick. 

1856  David  Marshall. 

1857  W.  Henderson. 

1858  R.  Brown,  smith. 

1859  John  Patrick. 

1860  Jas.  Brown,  brewer. 

1861  Robert  Bruce. 

1862  David  Marshall. 

1863  Dr  Kennedy. 

1864  „          „ 

1865  A.  Wilkie,  banker. 


1866 

H.  Thomas  Peter. 

1867 

,,                M 

1868 
1S69 

J.  Anderson,  jun.,  Norton 

1870 

I).  Russell,  Silverburn. 

187  1 

»»                » 

1872 

Andrew  Wilkie. 

1873 

1874 

James  Anderson,  jun. 
John  Davidson. 

1875 
1876 

Douglas  Campbell. 
Robert  Smith. 

1877 

»           » 

1878 

James  Brown. 

1879 

1880 

G.  Wilkie,  builder. 
Thomas  Anderson. 

1881 

»             » 

1882 

» 

1883 

» 

1884 

ABOUND    THE    PARISH. 


Ill 


THE  LUNDIN  CLUB. 

The  old  Lundin  Golf  Club  was  founded  on  8th  May 
1868.  Mr  Rintoul  of  Lahill  was  the  first  Captain,  and  Mr 
B.  Philp  was  appointed  Hon.  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 
On  13th  June  of  the  same  year  the  rules  of  the  Leven 
Club  were  adopted,  and  the  Innerleven  Club  offered  prizes 
to  be  competed  for  over  the  New  Lundin  Links  only.  At 
this  time  the  Lundin  Links  end  of  the  course  was  very 
rough,  and  the  Innerleven  hit  upon  the  device  of  offering 
special  prizes  to  the  votaries  of  the  game  in  Largo  and 


Lundin  Golf  Club  House. 

Lundin  in  the  hope  of  inducing  the  play  which  would 
bring  improvement.  The  Club  had  a  hum-drum  existence 
for  nine  years,  and  it  dropped  quietly  out  of  sight  in  1877. 
The  Club  of  to-day  sprang  into  existence  in  1899,  and  its 
record  has  been  one  of  abounding  prosperity. 

Some  Club  Makers. 

In  the  minutes  of  the  Leven  Club  there  is  an  entry 
from  which  it  appears  that  in  1855  instructions  were  given 
to  Mr  Patrick,  the  clubmaker,  to  make  and  forward  to  St 
Andrews  Club  two  clubs  for  competition,  "  as  a  testimony 


112  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

of  that  respect  we  entertain  for  them."  1855  was  the  year 
John  Patrick  was  Captain  of  the  Leven  Club.  He  was  a 
cabinetmaker  to  trade  and  began  clubmaking  about  1847. 
His  son,  Alex.  Patrick,  left  school  and  commenced  work 
with  his  father  in  1857.  On  the  death  of  his  father  in 
1866  he  succeeded  to  the  business,  and  at  once  began  to 
make  clubmaking  a  special  feature.  Meantime  Mr  Mat- 
thew Elder  had  converted  the  old  washing-house  of  the 
bleaching-green  on  the  banks  of  Scoonie  burn  into  a  club- 
house. The  Leven  and  Innerleven  Clubs  took  possession 
of  the  upper  flats  as  clubhouses  and  Mr  Patrick  took  pos- 
session of  the  ground  floor  as  a  shop  and  workshop.  Since 
this  date  the  Patrick  family  have  made  clubs  to  golfers 
throughout  the  golfing  world,  Mr  Alexander  Patrick's 
"  specials  "  are  well  known  in  this  and  other  countries,  and 
his  brother,  Mr  D.  M.  Patrick,  who  is  located  at  Lundin 
Links,  has  also  a  world-wide  reputation.  Mr  George 
Nicoll  has  made  golring  irons  since  1881.  He  is  the  maker 
of  the  famous  ''Tail"  cleek — a  cleek  which  has  been 
adopted  by  the  best  golfers  in  the  country — and  he  is  now- 
making  a  special  feature  of  the  "  sheradising,"  which 
practically  does  away  with  iron  cleaning. 

Leven  Bowling  Club. 

Leven  Bowling  Club  was  formed  in  1859,  but  August 

1866  had  come  before  the  club  found  themselves  in  a  posi- 
tion to  open  the  green  on  the  banks  of  the  Scoonie  Burn. 
A.   M'Lellan  was  the  secretary  in  1866.       The  post  has 
been  filled  as  follows  since   1866  : — F.  T.  Wallace,  from 

1867  to  1870;  C.  Adamson,  1871  to  1874  ;  F.  T.  Wallace, 
1875;  George  Irons,  1876  and   1877;  John   Brown,  1878 
to  1884  ;  James  Garrow,  1885  ;  James  Williamson,  1886  ; 
William  Ballingall,  1887  to  1902;  James  R.  Duthie,  1893 


AROUND    THE    PARISH. 


113 


and  1894;  J.  W.  Home,  1895  to  1905.  Mr  Home  has 
thus  filled  the  position  for  ten  years,  creating  a  record  for 
term  of  service. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  names  of  the  presidents  from 
the  opening  of  the  green  to  the  present  day  : — 

1866,  Robert  Smith.     1880,  Capt.  Lawson.     1894,  John  Wilkie. 

1881,  P.  Campbell. 

1882,  John  Stuart. 

1883,  C.  Adamson. 

1884,  James  Elder. 

1885,  Thos.  Porter. 

1886,  W.  Campbell. 

1887,  John  Brown. 

1888,  A.  Dryburgh. 

1889,  Ar.  Dryburgh. 

1890,  Geo.  Meikle. 

1891,  W.  Ballingall. 


1867, 

1868,  John  Meikle. 

1869,  Robert  Bruce 

1870,  And.  Wilkie. 

1871,  Geo.  Wilkie. 

1872,  J.  Davidson. 

1873,  James  Brown. 

1874,  Wai.  Ireland. 

1875,  „ 

1876,  James  Nairn. 

1877,  Mat.  Elder. 


1895,  James  Waddell. 

1896,  John  Finlayson. 

1897,  Wm.  Wilson. 

1898,  James  Peattie. 

1899,  A.  Walker. 

1900,  „ 

1901,  J.  W.  Home. 

1902,  A.  M'Ruvie. 

1903,  W.  Rollo. 

1904,  J.  WTatt. 

1905,  J.  Somerville. 


1878,  And.  Webster.    1892,  Geo.  Blackie. 

1879,  D.  Pattison.         1893,  J.  Robertson. 


Education  in  the  Parish. 

The   Rev.    David   Swan,   the    minister   of    the    parish, 
writing  in  1791,  says  : — 

"  There  is  one  established  grammar  school  in  the  parish.  The 
master,  who  is  fully  qualified  for  his  office,  teaches  English,  Latin, 
Greek,  writing,  arithmetic,  book-keeping,  the  practical  parts  of 
mathematics,  and  navigation.  There  is  a  commodious  school  and  ! 
schoolhouse,  furnished  by  the  heritors.  The  salary  is  £200  Scotch, 
and  with  the  other  emoluments  may  amount  to  £40  sterling  a  year. 
There  are  besides  two  or  three  small  schools,  in  which  young 
children  are  taught  to  read  English  at  the  very  easy  rate  of  one 
penny  per  week." 

We  find  that  the  commercial  side  was  not  ignored  by 
the  old  Scoonie  dominie  whose  emoluments  for   teaching 

CJ 

and  for  acting  as  parish  clerk  amounted  to  £40  a  year. 
The  pupils  had  a  choice  of  book-keeping,  of  the  practical 


114 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


Bird's  Eye  View  of  Leven. 
By  permission  of  Mr  A.  llotjtj,  Chemist. 


Patrick] 


Leven  High   Street. 


[  Edinburgh 


AROUND    THE    PARISH.  115 

parts  of  mathematics,  and  navigation.  At  that  time 
Leven  could  boast  of  six  trading  vessels  of  from  90  to  150 
tons  burthen,  and  this  little  fleet  required  masters  to  take 
them  to  Holland  and  for  the  east  sea  trade,  and  it  is 
interesting  to  find  that  the  masters  were  trained  in  Leven. 

Writing  in  1836,  the  Rev.  Dr  Brewster  gives  us  a 
glimpse  at  the  schools  of  his  day.  An  average  of  about 
380  pupils  attended  the  different  schools,  and  Dr  Brewster 
S:iys  : — -"  I  am  not  aware  of  any  individual  above  six  years 
of  age  being  altogether  unable  to  read,  except  two,  and 
they  are  imbeciles."  Dr  Brewster  tells  us  that  in  addi- 
tion to  the  usual  branches,  "  Greek,  Latin,  French,  and 
mathematics  are  taught "  at  the  parish  school,  and  he  adds 
that  "  there  is  also  a  female  school,  where  the  more  orna- 
mental branches  of  education  are  taught." 

In  1873,  when  the  School  Board  of  Scooriie  was  called 
into  existence,  the  Board  found  that  out  of  a  population  of 
1748  they  had  to  provide  accommodation  for  from  500  to 
600  children.  The  old  parish  school  and  the  Free  Church 
school  were  taken  over  by  the  Board.  The  parish  school 
is  now  a  dwelling-house,  and  the  new  school,  the  Free 
Church  school,  and  the  building  at  Smithygreen,  on  the 
northern  fringes  of  the  parish,  provide  accommodation  for 
1350  pupils.  A  secondary  department  has  been  opened 
in  Leven  school,  and  in  the  secondary  department  and 
the  evening  classes  every  attention  is  given  to  the 
commercial  side  of  education.  Mr  J.  A.  M'Innes  was 
appointed  headmaster  in  January  1892,  and  Miss  M.  P. 
Wilkie  took  up  duty  as  headmistress  in  1896.  Miss 
Ferrier  took  charge  of  Smithygreen  school  in  1891.  The 
Board's  first  meeting  was  held  in  March  1873,  and  the 
following  are  the  names  of  the  respective  chairmen  : — 


116  RAMBLES     IN    SCOONIK    AND    WEMYSS. 

James  Anderson,  1873  to  1879  ;  Dr  Lyall,  1879  to  1882  ; 
R.  M.  Christie  of  Dune,  1882  to  1888;  John  White, 
1888  to  1891  and  1900  to  1903  ;  Rev.  C.  Durward,  1891 
to  1894;  Alex.  Gumming,  1894  to  1897;  Dr  Balfour 
Graham,  1897  to  1900;  Edward  Hill,  1903,  and  continues 
in  office.  Mr  C.  J.  Ogilvy  has  been  Clerk  to  the  Board 
since  March  1883. 


Ex-Provost  White,  Leven. 
Montrave,  Aithernie,  and  Kilmux. 

Montrave  and  Aithernie  are  situated  on  the  northern 
borders  of  the  parish  of  Scoonie,  arid  both  estates  belong 
to  Sir  John  Gilmour,  Bart.  In  1160  the  lands  of 


AROUND    THE    PARISH.  117 

Montrave  and  Aithernie  were  granted  to  the  nuns  of 
North  Berwick  by  Duncan,  Earl  of  Fife.  After  the  nuns 
ceased  to  hold  Montrave,  it  seems  to  have  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  a  proprietor  who  held  the  estates  adjoining,  and 
for  a  long  series  of  years  the  name  disappears  from  the 
public  records.  The  old  mansion  house  was  built  by 
Major  Alexander  Anderson,  a  soldier  who  served  with 
distinction  in  the  Mahratta  war.  On  succeeding  to  the 
estate,  he  returned  to  Fife,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life  at  Montrave.  He  carried  out  extensive  improvements 
on  his  possessions,  and  took  a  great  interest  in  matters 
affecting  the  county.  Major  Anderson  died  on  25th  June 
1855,  and  his  remains  found  a  last  resting  place  in  Scoonie 
Cemetery.  A  mural  monument  marks  the  spot  of 
burial.  The  tablet  bears  the  following  inscription  : — 

"To  the  memory  of  Major  Alexander  Anderson  of  Montrave, 
Madras  Engineers,  who  died  25th  June  1855,  aged  61  years." 

Captain  John  Anderson,  his  son,  who  succeeded  to  the 
estate,  was  an  officer  in  the  East  India  Company's  service. 
He  fell  at  the  siege  of  Lucknow  in  1858,  just  three  years 
after  he  had  succeeded  to  Montrave,  and  the  property  was 
afterwards  acquired  by  Mr  Douglas  Dick  of  Pitkerri, 
Forfarshire.  The  estate  of  Lundiu  was  acquired  by  Mr 
Allan  Gilmour,  who  was  a  leading  shipowner  in  Glasgow, 
in  1872,  and  in  the  following  year  he  purchased  the 
adjoining  property  of  Montrave.  Mr  Giluiour  died  in 
1884,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  the  present  pro- 
prietor. In  1886  and  1887  Montrave  House  was 
practically  rebuilt.  The  building  is  an  imposing  one,  and 
much  artistic  skill  has  been  brought  to  bear  upon  the 
work  of  laying  out  the  grounds.  A  delightful  carriage 
drive,  extending  to  upwards  of  a  mile,  approaches  from 


118 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


the  Leven  side  on  the  south  to  the  elegant  main  entrance. 
The  house  is  lit  by  electricity,  and  in  the  evening  the  same 
light  is  turned  on  in  the  offices  and  other  buildings  and 
their  approaches.  Sir  John  Gilmour  was  born  in  1845, 
and  was  educated  at  Glasgow  and  Edinburgh  Universities. 


Elliot  , 


Sir  John   Qilmour,  Bart. 


[London 


His  Edinburgh  career  was  followed  up  by  a  thorough 
commercial  training  under  his  late  father,  and  undoubtedly 
it  was  the  business  habits  which  he  learned  in  early  life 
which  taught  him  to  reduce  method  to  an  art  and  which 


AROUND    THE     PARISH. 


119 


have  made  him  a  conspicuous  success  as  a  member  of  the 
public  boards  of  the  county.  He  was  returned  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Fife  County  Council  iu  1889,  on  the  Local 
Government  Act  becoming  law,  and  on  Lord  Elgin  being 
appointed  Viceroy  of  India,  Mr  Grilmour  was  elected 
chairman.  The  gifted  Rev.  Dr  Thomson,  the  minister  of 


Montrave  House. 

(Frmn  a  phuto  by  Lady  QUmour). 

Markinch,  in  his  "  General  View  of  the  Agriculture  of  the 
County  of  Fife,"  published  in  1800,  says  : — 

"  The  noblemen  and  gentlemen  of  Fife  live  on  the  most  friendly 
terms,  and  all  County  business  is  conducted  with  the  greatest 
harmony  and  ease." 

No  man  has  done  more  to  uphold  the  traditions  of  the 
county  as  here  set  forth  than  the  proprietor  of  Montrave,  and 
as  Chairman  of  the  County  Council  he  added  to  his  reputa- 


120  KAMBLES     IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

tion  as  a  man  of  business  capacity  and  as  a  discreet 
observer.  In  1897,  the  jubilee  year  of  Her  late  Majesty 
Queen  Victoria,  Mr  Gilmour  had  the  honour  of  having  a 
baronetcy  conferred  upon  him.  As  Commander,  Sir  John 
has  done  splendid  work  among  the  Fife  Light  Horse.  No 
landlord  in  the  "  Kingdom  "  has  given  more  attention  to 
agriculture  than  Sir  John,  and  since  1892,  when  he 
founded  the  Montrave  stud  of  horses,  he  has  been  known 
as  one  of  the  most  successful  breeders  of  Clydesdales  in 
Scotland.  Sir  John  unsuccessfully  contested  East  Fife  as 
a  Conservative  in  1885,  and  as  an  upholder  of  the  Union 
as  against  Irish  Home  Rule  in  1892  and  1895. 

From  1160  to  1588  the  Nunnery  of  North  Berwick 
retained  power  over  the  lands  of  Aithernie.  The  Refor- 
mation practically  brought  an  end  to  the  Church's  owner- 
ship, however,  and  on  20th  March  1588  James  VI. 
granted  a  charter  secularising  the  property.  With  the 
consent  of  the  prioress,  Margaret  Howe,  the  property  was 
conferred  on  Sir  Alexander  Howe  of  North  Berwick. 
Howe  was  a  persona  grata  at  the  Court  of  James  VI.,  and 
on  more  than  one  occasion  was  sent  to  England  as  an  ambas- 
sador. He  died  without  issue  in  1G08.  Aithernie  was 
afterwards  held  by  the  Rigg  family  for  a  considerable 
time.  In  1670  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  James  Watson 
of  Downfield,  the  son  of  a  Provost  of  St  Andrews.  Mr 
Watson  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  Alexander 
Watson,  who  married  Margaret,  daughter  of  David 
Lindsay  of  Edzell,  remembered  in  tradition  as  "  The 
proud  Lady  of  Edzell."  The  author  of  the  "  Lives  of  the 
Lindsays "  tells  a  touching  story  of  the  "  proud  lady." 
Her  brother  Dav  id  was  as  extravagant  as  his  sister,  and 
in  1714  he  parted  with  his  estates.  Now  for  the  story  : — 


AROUND    THE    PARISH.  121 

"  Years  passed  away,  and  the  castle  fell  to  ruin.  The  banner 
rotted  on  the  keep — the  roofs  fell  in — the  plesaunce  became  a 
wilderness — the  summerhouse  fell  to  decay — the  woods  grew  wild 
and  tangled — the  dogs  died  about  the  place,  and  the  name  of  the 
old  proprietor  was  seldom  mentioned,  when  a  lady  one  day  arrived 
at  Edzell  in  her  own  coach,  and  drove  to  the  castle.  She  was  tall 
and  beautiful,  and  dressed  in  deep  mourning.  When  she  came  near 
the  ancient  burying-place,  she  alighted  and  went  into  the  chapel, 
for  it  was  then  open  ;  the  doors  had  been  driven  down,  the  stone 
figures  and  carved  work  were  all  broken,  and  bones  lay  scattered 
about.  The  poor  lady  went  in,  and  sat  down  among  it  a'  and  wept 
sore  at  the  ruin  of  the  house,  and  the  fall  of  her  family,  for  no  one 
doubted  of  her  being  one  of  them,  though  no  one  knew  who  she 
was  or  where  she  came  from.  After  a  while  she  came  out,  and  was 
driven  in  the  coach  up  to  the  castle  ;  she  went  through  as  much  of 
it  as  she  could,  for  stairs  had  fallen  down,  and  roofs  had  fallen  in, 
and  in  one  room,  in  particular,  she  stayed  a  long  while  weeping 
sadly.  She  said  the  place  was  very  dear  to  her,  though  she  had 
now  no  right  to  it,  and  she  carried  some  of  the  earth  away  with 
her.  This  was  Margaret  of  Edzell,  the  Lady  of  Aithernie." 

While  the  Castle  of  Aithernie  on  the  banks  of  Scooriie 
burn  was  tottering  to  its  fall,  the  pockets  of  the  laird  and 
his  "proud  lady"  became  more  and  more  empty,  and  they 
both  died,  pathetically-touching,  poverty-stricken  figures. 
Aithernie  was  acquired  by  Sir  William  Erskine  of  Torrie, 
and  in  1836  was  inherited  with  Lundin  by  his  grandson, 
J.  Erskine  Wemyss  of  Wemyss.  Aithernie  and  Lundin 
are  now  the  property  of  Sir  John  Gilmour.  Aithernie  has 
not  been  occupied  for  nearly  two  centuries,  and  only  a 
fragment  of  the  old  keep  now  remains.  The  ruined  castle 
overlooks  a  pretty  part  of  the  glen.  The  glen  has  charms 
for  the  general  tripper  as  well  as  the  antiquarian. 

Kilmux  lies  in  the  north-west  part  of  Scoonie  parish. 
Away  back  in  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  when 
the  lands  were  included  in  the  barony  of  Ballinbriech  and 


122  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

the  Earl  of  Rothes  was  the  superior,  the  estate  was 
divided  into  two — Easter  and  Wester  Kilmux.  In  1832 
the  two  portions  were  united  by  Mr  James  Blyth  Fernie, 
who  built  the  mansion  house  of  to-day.  Mr  Fernie  was 
born  in  1798,  and  was  a  leader  of  agricultural  improve- 
ments in  the  "  Kingdom.''  In  his  hands  Kilmux  became  a 
model  farm.  His  skill  as  an  agriculturist  was  recognised 
in  a  practical  way  by  his  being  employed  all  over  the 
country  'in  reference  cases.  Coal  was  first  worked  on  the 
estate  about  1780.  Mr  Fernie  did  not  l>y  any  means  con- 
fine his  energies  to  agriculture.  In  1835  he  sunk  a  shaft 
to  a  depth  of  54  fathoms  and  struck  seams  of  coal  varying 
in  thickness  from  6  inches  to  5  feet  2  inches.  In  order  to 
drain  the  mine  of  water  a  steam  engine  of  47  horse- 
power was  erected  —  a  powerful  pump  for  the  times. 
Little  or  no  coal  has  been  worked  at  Kilmux  for  the  past 
25  years.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  coal  in  the  district, 
however,  and  some  day  in  the  not  far  distant  future 
Kilmux  colliery  may  become  the  putting,  restless  work 
which  it  was  more  than  half  a  century  ago  under  the 
enterprising  Mr  Fernie.  Mr  Fernie  died  on  3rd  April 
1858.  The  present  proprietor  is  Mr  David  Ritchie, 
Edinburgh. 

The  Fife  Coal   Company's  Works. 

The  Fife  Coal  Company,  Limited,  commenced  opera- 
tions on  the  Kinarchie  Braes,  overlooking  the  town  of 
Methil,  in  1877.  A  lease  of  the  Pirnie  field,  which  had 
been  operated  upon  from  1867  by  Messrs  Meldrum  & 
Birnie,  was  also  obtained.  Two  pits  were  at  first  sunk  on 
the  field  lying  between  Leven  on  the  east  and  the  Cross 
Roads  on  the  west,  but  ultimately  a  third  shaft  was  put 
down.  Operations  are  continued  in  the  old  pit  at  Pirnie. 


AROUND    THE    PARISH.  123 

In  1884  the  Wellsgrcen  Dysart  Main  fields  were  taken, 
and  at  Wellsgreen  two  shafts  were  put  down.  The  fol- 
lowing '  are  the  coals  worked  in  the  Leven  and  Pirnie 
fields : — 

Wall  Coal,  2  ft.  4  in  114  fathoms  in  depth. 

Eight  Feet  Coal,  5£  ft.  120        „ 

Six  Feet  Coal,  4  ft.  128        ,,  ,, 

Chemiss  Splint  Coal,  7  ft.  145         ,,  ,, 

Parrot  Coal,  24ft.  200         ,,  ,,.', 

At  Wellsgreen  the  Dysart  Main  and  other  seams  have 
been  operated  upon  to  a  considerable  extent.  The  Leven 
colliery  workings  have  extended  to  the  chambers  of  the 
old  workings  at  Kirkland.  The  water  has  been  drained 
off  the  mines  of  more  than  a  century  ago,  and  the  coal, 
which  was  abandoned  because  of  a  breakdown  in  the 
pumping  machinery  about  1780,  is  now  being  brought  to 
the  surface  and  placed  upon  the  market.  The  Fife  Coal 
Company  was  formed  in  1872  with  a  comparatively  small 
capital.  To-day  it  is  one  of  the  finest  coal  combinations  in 
the  country.  In  addition  to  Leven,  Pirnie,  and  Wells- 
green  the  Company  operates  on  fields  at  Cowdenbeath, 
Kelty,  Hill  of  Beath,  Lochore,  and  Lumphinnans.  The 
Company's  output  in  1872  was  70,000  tons.  In  1904  the 
output  was  2,648,563  tons.  The  Aitken  pit  at  Kelty 
contributed  as  much  as  495,576  tons  to  this  total.  Out  of 
313  lawful  working  days  coals  were  drawn  at  the  pit  for 
302  days.  This  gives  an  average  of  fully  1640  tons  a  day. 
There  is  nothing  approaching  such  an  output  as  this  from 
any  one  pit  in  Scotland.  The  seams  dip  to  the  east,  and  full}; 
a  mile  to  the  east  of  the  Aitken  pit  is  the  Mary,  which  is 
being  sunk,  and  which  will  strike  the  Dunfermline  splint 
seam  at  a  depth  of  350  fathoms.  The  share  capital  of 


124 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


the  Company  is  £831,250  in  <£!  shares— 280,000  in  5  per 
cent,  cumulative  preference,  and  551,250  in  ordinary  stock 
— the  <£!  shares  in  July  1905  standing  on  the  market  at 


J 


Charles  Carlow,  Esq.,  J.P.,  flanaging  Director,  Fife  Coal  Co.,  Ld. 
nearly  £5  per  share.      Mr  Thomas   Aitken,   who  is    well 
known   in   commercial    circles  in  Scotland,   and   who  has 


AROUND    THE    PARISH. 


125 


been  a  Director  since  its  formation  in  1872,  is  the  Chair- 
man of  the  Company,  and  Mr  Charles  Carlow  is  the 
Managing  Director.  Mr  Carlow  was  born  in  the  village  of 
Methilhill,  where  he  has  founded  reading  and  recreation 
rooms.  Mr  Carlow  is  Deputy-Chairman  of  the  North 
British  Railway  Company,  is  a  Director  of  the  Royal 
Bank,  and  holds  a  position  on  the  Boards  of  other  coal 
and  iron  companies  in  Scotland.  He  is  a  Justice  of 
Peace  for  Fifeshire.  Mr  W.  Walker  is  Secretary  of  the 
Fife  Coal  Company  ;  Mr  R.  Gordon,  Accountant ;  and 
Mr  B.  Sutherland,  Cashier.  Mr  Henry  Rowan  holds 
the  position  of  General  Manager,  and  Mr  C.  Augustus 
Carlow  is  Assistant  General  Manager.  The  Leven  and 
Wellsgreen  pits  are  under  the  immediate  charge  of  Mr  R. 
Kirk  by. 


THE    PARISH   OF   WEMYSS. 


THE  delightfully  situated  estate  of  Wemyss,  or  Wemyss- 
shire  as  it  was  anciently  called,  derives  its  name  from 
the  caves  which  are  found  on  the  shore  within  its  bounds, 
the  Celtic  for  cave  being  Uamh.  The  history  of  the 
parish  is  practically  the  history  of  the  "  Kingdom  "  —  in- 
deed the  history  of  the  Kingdom  of  Scotland.  The  caves 
or  Weems,  with  their  rude  sculpturings.  take  us  back  to 
the  period  of  the  Roman  invasion,  perhaps  further,  while  in 
the  history  of  the  Wemyss  Family  we  have,  as  Sir  William 
Fraser  reminds  us,  one  of  the  longest  and  purest  of 
Scottish  pedigrees,  going  back  for  seven  centuries.  Many 
members  of  the  family  held  high  office  in  the  State  in  far- 
off  days,  and  in  the  archives  of  Wemyss  Castle  there  are 
documents  which  are  of  national  as  well  as  local  interest. 
From  time  immemorial  coal  has  been  worked  in  the 
district,  and  the  documents  which  have  been  preserved 
bearing  on  the  great  mining  industry  for  centuries  are  to 
many  as  interesting  as  the  papers  which  give  us  glimpses 
at  the  politics  and  the  government  of  other  days. 

The  extreme  length  of  the  parish  from  south-west  to 
north-east  is  about  5|  miles,  while  its  breadth  varies  from 
1£  to  2  miles.  In  contradistinction  to  the  sea-beach  of 
Scoonie,  the  beach  is  bold  and  rocky.  The  parish  is 
bounded  on  the  east  by  Markinch  and  Scoonie,  on  the 
north  by  Kennoway  and  Mark  inch,  arid  on  the  west  by 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS. 


127 


Dysart.  The  Government  census  returns  only  go  back  to 
1801,  but  according  to  returns  drawn  up  by  Dr  Webster  there 
were  3041  souls  in  the  parish  in  1755,  and  here  is  a  fairly 
accurate  return  which  was  compiled  for  the  minister  of 
the  parish  in  1791  : — 

Families. 
235 
153 
163 
81 
93 
71 


West  Wemyss, 

East  Wemyss, 

Buckhaven, 

Methil, 

East  and  West  Coaltown, 

Kirklatvl,  &c., 


Totals,   - 
Totals  in  1755, 

Decrease, 


796 


Males. 

Females. 

Total. 

353 

416 

769 

268 

289 

557 

277 

324 

601 

153 

101 

314 

166 

227 

393 

191 

200 

391 

1408 

1617 

3025 

- 

3041 

16 


In  1801  there  were  3264  souls  in  the  parish,  and  in 
1811  there  were  3691.  The  following  are  the  returns 
from  1821  :— 


1821 

1831 

1841 

1851 

18G1 

1871 

1881 

1891 

1901 

Innerleven,  - 

— 

— 

— 

— 

337 

358 

501 

579 

792 

Methil,  - 

9GG 

1112 

1165 

1073 

522 

C48 

754 

1GG2 

2G8G 

Buckhaven,  - 

1141 

1303 

1526 

1709 

19C5 

2187 

2952 

4006 

4522 

Beyond  Burgh, 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

828 

East  Wemyss, 

048 

753 

859 

•802 

799 

777 

846 

1010 

2522 

W.  Wemyss,  - 

592 

858 

947 

1013 

1128 

1231 

1206 

1300 

1253 

Coaltown, 

400 

460 

537 

600 

408 

343 

369 

381 

731 

Kirkland, 

— 

— 

— 

— 

448 

355 

297 

441 

3G1 

Methilhill,   - 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

480 

4G6 

503 

442 

Rural,  - 

310 

455 

309 

390 

773 

379 

417 

652 

894 

Totals,  -  4057  5001  5403  5047  6003  G400  7307  10534  15031 
Since  1901  the  village  of  Denbeath  has  sprung  up,  and 
at  East  Wemyss  and  other  places  there  has  been  a  big 
increa.se  in  the  housing.  In  the  spring  of  1905  it  was 
computed  that  the  population  of  the  parish  could  not  be 
less  than  18,000. 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


The  Valuation  of  the  Parish. 

The  following  is  a  table  showing  the  valuation  of  the 
parish  of  Wernyss  since  1855-6  : — 

1855-6,     -    £14,484  18    0  1885-6,     -    £34,328     7    4 


1865-6, 
18756, 


19,218 
27,445 


1895-6, 
1904-5, 


58,949    0    2 
102,121     4    0 


During  the  decade  between  1855  and  1865  the  valuation 
increased  by  £4733  5s  3d;  between  1865  and  1875  the 
increase  was  £8227  Is  5d;  1875  and  1885  it  was  £6883 
4s  8d  ;  1885  and  1895,  £24,620  12s  lOd  ;  and  1895  and 
1904-5  the  increase  amounted  to  £43,172  3s  lOd.  This, 
like  the  census  returns  of  the  parish,  indicates  abounding 
progress. 


The  Burgh  of  Buckhaven,  Methil,  and  Innerleven. 

The  villages  of  Buckhaven,  Methil,  and  Innerleven, 
which  lie  on  the  shore  between  the  river  Leven  and 
Macduff's  Castle,  were  formed  into  a  Police  Burgh  in  May 
1891.  On  the  date  of  the  formation  of  the  Burgh  the 
combined  population  of  the  three  places  was  computed  at 
6000.  During  the  decade  which  passed  between  1891  and 
1901  the  population  rose  to  8000,  and  this  figure  did  not 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  129 

iclude  the  part  of  Buckhaven  town  which  is  beyond  the 
jurgh  boundary,  and  in  which  828  people  were  resident. 
Fust  after  the  taking  of  the  census  in  1901  the  burgh 

jundary  was  extended  at  Methil  so  as  to  include  Methil 

Jrae,  and  the  change  gave  an  addition  of  600  people  at 
the  town  of  Methil.  The  following  are  the  names  of  the 
Chief  Magistrates,  and  the  dates  of  their  respective  terms 
of  office : — Wm.  Bowman  Simpson,  June  1891  to  March 
1893  ;  Wm.  Greig,  April  1893  to  November  1895  ;  Wm. 
B.  Gillespie,  November  1895  to  November  1901 ;  Wm. 
Greig,  November  1901  to  November  1904 ;  R.  G.  E. 

7emyss,  appointed  November  1904,  and  continues  in 
office.  Mr  W.  T.  Ketchen,  W.S.,  who  is  a  native  of  Elie, 
has  been  Town  Clerk  of  the  Burgh  since  the  date  of  its 
formation,  while  the  duties  of  Treasurer  are  fulfilled  by 
Mr  David  Robb,  solicitor. 


Innerleven  and  Dubbieside. 

Innerleven  has  changed  its  name  nearly  as  often  as  it 
has  changed  its  industries.  In  some  of  the  old  Wemyss 
titles  it  is  called  Caldcoits  or  Innerleven ;  in  others  it  is 
referred  to  as  Dubbieside ;  and  Lamont,  in  his  "  Chronicles 
of  Fife,"  gives  us  yet  a  fourth  name  when  he  tells  us  that 
by  the  storm  of  November  1662,  "a  great  pairt  of  my  Lord 
remyss'  harbory,  that  he  was  building  bewest  the  Salt- 
griene,  was  throwen  down  and  spoilt."  Of  the  four  names, 
Dubbieside  is  the  one  which  students  of  place  names  delight 
to  hold  by. 

The  name  Dubbieside  takes  us  back  to  the  days  when 
the  "  Kingdom  "  was  inhabited  by  a  Celtic  race,  and  when 
its  localities  were  known  by  Celtic  names.  Dubhagan,  in 

I 


130 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE   AND   WEMYSS. 


Gaelic,  means  a  dark,  deep  pool,  and,  as  Taylor  in  his 
"Historical  Antiquities"  reminds  us,  is  truly  descriptive 
of  the  deep,  dark  water  where  the  Leven  and  the  Forth 
meet,  and  which  for  centuries  formed  the  ferry  between 
Dubbieside  and  the  town  of  Leven.  Dubham  is  another 
Gaelic  word  which  gives  a  further  clue  to  the  name. 
Dubham  means  a  hook,  and  here  we  have  a  word  which 
takes  us  back  to  the  distant  past  when  Dubbieside  was  a 


J.  Patrick] 


[Edinburgh 


Innerleven. 


fishing  hamlet  of  a  few  huts.  In  early  times,  when 
Markinch  Priory  was  the  dominating  religious  institution 
of  the  parish  of  Markinch,  the  fish  for  the  Priory  were 
drawn  from  Dubbieside.  The  small  fishing  hamlet  thus 
became  thirled  to  Markinch,  and  it  was  only  in  1891  that 
Innerleven  became  disjoined  from  the  parish  of  Markinch 
and  was  thrown  into  the  parish  of  Wemyss. 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  131 

AN  INCIDENT  OP  1388. 

Innerleven  first  comes  into  view  historically  in  the  days 
of  Sir  John  Wemyss  of  Reres  and  Wemyss,  When  Sir 
John  acquired  the  lands  of  Innerleven,  he  did  so  on  terms 
which  cast  some  light  on  the  customs  of  the  times.  In 
1387  the  lands  of  Innerleven  belonged  to  Thomas  of  Inner- 
leven. Thomas  it  appears  had  become  impecunious,  and 
in  October  1388  he,  in  presence  of  a  notary  and  other 
witnesses,  admitted  that  he  had  given  up  his  rights, 
present  and  future,  in  Innerleven  to  Sir  John  Wemyss,  for 
assistance  given  and  to  be  given,  especially  in  recovering 
the  lands  from  the  superiors  for  the  use  of  Thomas.  In 
these  days  the  Church  was  generally  the  superior  of  the 
lands,  and  a  pretty  hard  taskmaster  the  Church  was,  but  it 
appears  the  Earl  of  Fife  and  Monteith  was  superior  of 
Innerleven.  In  the  "  Wemyss  Memorials,"  Sir  William 
Fraser  tells  us  that  Sir  John  became  bound  to  labour 
faithfully  and  diligently  to  recover  the  lands  for  the 
benefit  of  Thomas  within  the  next  two  years.  On  this 
being  done,  Thomas  became  bound  to  resign  the  lands  in 
favour  of  Sir  John,  and  failing  that  to  pay  the  sum  of  £40 
sterling  with  expenses.  If  Sir  John  failed  to  recover  the 
lands  within  the  two  years,  he  was  to  pay  a  sum  to 
Thomas.  Sir  John  fulfilled  his  bargain  to  the  letter,  but 
on  appearing  within  the  prescribed  time  with  his  notary 
and  demanding  fulfilment  of  the  agreement,  Thomas  took 
up  the  position  of  the  "  dog  in  the  manger  "  and  refused  to 
carry  out  his  part  of  the  contract.  A  second  endeavour 
on  the  part  of  Sir  John  to  get  Thomas  to  complete  an 
honourable  bargain  was  as  fruitless  as  the  first,  and  about 
six  and  a  half  years  expired  before  Innerleven  really 
became  the  property  of  Sir  John  Wemyss  under  a  charter 


132  RAMBLES   IN   SCOONIE   AND   WEMYSS. 

from  the  Earl  of  Fife.  The  charter  of  Innerleven  to  Sir 
John  Wemyss  also  contained  a  grant  of  the  Westhaugh 
of  Scoonie. 

In  the  days  of  James  VI.,  Sir  John  "Wemyss  of  that 
ilk,  the  first  Earl  of  Wemyss,  who  in  1609  married  Dame 
Jeane  Gray,  eldest  daughter  of  Patrick  Lord  Gray,  had  a 
new  grant  of  the  barony  of  Methil  to  him  and  his  wife. 
Besides  the  lands  of  Methil,  this  barony  included  the  lands 
of  Hill  and  Pirny,  the  superiority  of  Caldcoits,  the  half  of 
Kilmux,  and  the  office  of  Bailie  of  the  river  Leven,  which 
among  other  dues  yielded  to  the  holder  every  ninth 
salmon  caught  in  the  stream,  and  entitled  him  to  hold 
courts,  appoint  inferior  officers,  and  deal  with  delinquents. 
The  charter  was  granted  by  George  Gledstanes,  Arch- 
bishop of  St  Andrews,  in  1611,  some  six  years  before  the 
Laird  of  Wemyss  was  knighted  by  James  VI.,  who  in 
1617  made  a  pilgrimage  through  Fife.  The  Laird  of 
Wemyss  had  a  baronetcy  conferred  on  him  by  Charles  I. 
in  1626,  and  in  1628  the  King  conferred  on  Sir  John  the 
dignity  and  rank  of  a  Lord  of  Parliament,  by  the  title  of 
Lord  Wemyss  of  Elcho.  In  the  days  when  Lord  Wemyss 
was  Bailie  of  the  Leven,  and  could  claim  every  ninth 
salmon  caught  in  the  stream,  the  water  was  not  disturbed 
by  either  bleach  works  or  distilleries,  and  the  river  abounded 
in  trout  and  salmon. 

THE  HANDLOOM  AND  RED  ROOFS. 

Dubbieside,  like  Methil,  has  seen  a  good  many  changes 
during  the  past  thirty-five  years.  A  great  many  of  the 
houses  where  the  click  of  the  shuttle  of  the  hand-loom  was 
in  the  olden  time  heard  have  given  place  to  modern 
dwellings,  and  the  Caldcoits  of  other  days  is  fast  giving 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  133 

place  to  the  Innerleven  of  to-day.  Here  and  there  on  the 
beach  and  on  the  main  street  there  are  still  a  few  examples 
of  the  outside  stairs  and  the  red  roofs  of  two  hundred 
years  ago.  One  of  the  best  examples  of  the  seventeenth 
century  dwellings  stands  at  the  entrance  from  Leven  to 
Dubbieside.  It  is  a  long  stretch  of  plain  walls  with 
forestair,  with  the  front  turned  westwards,  and  the  gables 
facing  the  south  and  the  north.  The  date  stone  above  the 
door- way  bears  the  figures  1671.  Just  beyond  this  is 
Lawson's  Square,  which  stands  on  the  entrance  to  the 
Steep  Wynd,  which  took  the  name  of  the  "  Dead  Wynd." 
The  Wynd  was  the  highway  to  the  Leven  and  Wemyss 
road,  and  took  its  name  of  "  Dead  Wynd  "  because  it  was 
the  path  along  which  the  remains  of  residents  were  carried 
to  their  "  long  home  "  at  Methilmill. 


SWEET  DUBBYSIDE. 

George  Outram,  the  talented  author  of  "  Legal  and 
other  Lyrics,"  who  frequently  played  golf  at  Dubbieside, 
gives  us  the  following  glimpse  of  the  village  of  1850  : — 

"  The  foam-flakes  flash,  the  black  rocks  scowl, 
The  sea-bird  screams,  the  wild  winds  howl ; 
A  giant  wave  springs  up  on  high — 
'  One  pull  for  God's  sake  ! '  is  the  cry  : 
If  struck,  we  perish  in  the  tide — 
If  saved,  we  land  at  Dubbyside. 

O  Dubbyside  !  our  peril's  past, 

And  bliss  and  thee  are  reached  at  last ' 

As  sprang  Leander  to  his  bride, 

Half-drowned,  so  we  to  Dubbyside. 

What  though  we're  drenched,  we  will  be  dried 

Upon  thy  banks,  sweet  Dubbyside. 


134  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE   AND   WEMYSS. 

Are  we  in  heaven,  or  are  we  here, 
Or  in  the  moon,  or  Jupiter  ? 
These  velvet  links,  o'  golfers  rife, 
Are  they  in  Paradise,  or  Fife  ? 
Am  I  alive,  or  am  I  dead, 
Or  am  I  not  at  Dubbyside  ! 

Through  Eden's  groves  there  flowed  a  stream, 
And  there  its  very  waters  gleam — 
Its  pebbly  bed.  its  banks  the  same, 
Unchanged  in  all  except  the  name 
Since  Adam  bathed  in  Leven  tide, 
And  Eve  reposed  at  Dubbyside  ! 

And  still  it  is  a  blissful  spot, 

Though  Paradise  is  all  forgot ; 

The  fairies  shower  their  radiance  here, 

The  rocks  look  bright,  the  dubs  are  clear ; 

Deem  not  that  bush  the  forest's  pride — 

Remember  you're  at  Dubbyside  ! 

Is  that  an  angel  shining  there, 
Or  sea-nymph  with  her  flowing  hair, 
Or  Neptune's  pearl-embowered  bride, 
Kissing  the  foam -bells  of  the  tide? 

Tis  neither  angel,  nymph,  nor  bride — 

Tis  Podley  Jess  of  Dubbyside  !  " 

History  of  the  Church  on  the  Links. 

Although  the  golf  links  and  the  hand-loom  weaving  of 
"  sweet  Dubbieside "  have  gone,  the  Dissenting  Church 
still  remains.  The  early  history  of  the  little  church 
throws  some  light  on  the  habits  and  character  of  the 
people  who  lived  on  both  sides  of  the  river  Leven  from  50 
to  200  years  ago. 

PRAYING    SOCIETIES. 

After  the  Rev.  Ebenezer  Erskine  and  his  colleagues 
met  at  Gairney  Bridge  in  1733  and  took  the  step  which 
brought  the  Associate  Church  into  existence,  the  Praying 


THE  PARISH  OF  WEMYSS.  135 

Societies  gradually  cast  in  their  lot  with  the  Dissenting 
Church.  Some  of  the  Dissenters  who  were  connected  with 
the  Praying  Societies  of  Leven,  Dubbieside,  and  Methil 
joined  the  Secession  in  1738.  Others  followed  in  1739, 
and  in  1742  the  Associates  had  a  considerable  accession  to 
their  ranks.  When  the  Dissenting  residents  on  the  banks 
of  the  Leven  first  joined  the  Associate  Church  they  cast  in 
their  lot  with  an  Abbotshall  congregation,  and  even  with 
the  accessions  of  1739  and  1742  the  disciples  of  the  new. 
sect  found  that  they  formed  such  a  small  company  that 
they  did  not  dream  of  forming  a  Dissenting  congregation 
for  the  district.  They  retained  their  connection  with 
Abbotshall  until  1744,  when  they  joined  the  little  church 
at  Ceres.  When  the  Burghers  oath  of  1745  was  imposed 
by  Parliament  and  the  "  breach  "  occurred  in  the  Associate 
Church,  the  church  of  Ceres  went  over  to  the  Anti-Burgher 
Synod,  and  most  of  the  worshippers  from  Leven  district 
went  with  them.  In  1769  the  Dissenters  thought  they 
were  of  sufficient  strength  to  warrant  them  forming  a 
congregation,  and  they  applied  to  the  Synod  for  dis- 
junction. On  the  plea  that  there  was  nothing  to  hinder 
them  finding  their  way  to  Ceres  every  Sunday,  the  request 
was  met  by  a  negative.  As  a  compromise,  however,  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Bennet,  the  minister  of  Ceres  church,  who 
was  strongly  opposed  to  the  disjunction,  was  asked  by  the 
Synod  to  conduct  services  in  the  Leven  district  at  least 
four  times  a  year  during  the  winter  months. 

WHEN  A  CONGREGATION  WAS  FORMED. 

The  Rev.  Dr  Mackelvie,  the  author  of  "  Annals  and 
Statistics  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church,"  says : — 
"Matters  continued  in  this  state  till  1793,  when  the  mem- 


136  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

bers  of  the  congregation  of  Ceres  resident  in  Leven,  Largo, 
and  places  adjacent  were  formed,  under  sanction  of  the 
Presbytery,  into  a  separate  congregation."  The  Rev.  Jas- 
W.  Drennan,  one  of  the  ministers  of  the  Dubbieside 
church,  rightly  doubts  the  accuracy  of  Mackelvie's  date  as 
to  the  formation  of  a  congregation.  Under  date  22nd 
February  1788,  Mr  Drennan  found  the  following  minute 
in  the  Manager's  book: — "The  Session  having  met  and 
reckoned  accounts  and  found  to  be  in  Thomas  Kirk's  hand 
the  sum  of  eleven  shillings  and  elevenpence  three  farthings." 
At  a  meeting  held  in  1789,  the  congregation  was  found  to 
be  indebted  to  Thomas  Kirk  to  the  amount  of  2s  7^d, 
"  sterling  money,  errors  excepted."  The  Dubbieside 
Session  minutes  only  go  back  to  1828,  but  in  a  minute  of 
the  Session  of  Ceres,  dated  6th  June  1793,  we  are  told 
that  the  names  of  15  persons  who  desired  to  be  disjoined 
from  Ceres  and  annexed  to  that  of  Dubbieside  were 
handed  in,  and  the  Session  agreed  to  the  request.  Presby- 
tery dues  were  also  paid  as  far  back  as  1781,  and  so  far  as 
can  be  gleaned  from  sidelights,  one  is  justified  in  coming 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  Dubbieside  congregation  was 
formed  about  1780.  For  many  years  the  pulpit  was  filled 
by  itinerant  preachers.  It  was  only  in  Ma}'  1796  that 
the  congregation  met  in  Thomas  Kirk's  house  and  resolved 
to  subscribe  what  each  one  could  give  "  to  have  the  Gospel 
in  a  fair  way  in  this  corner,  and  after  subscribing,  to 
petition  the  Presbytery  for  moderation  and  to  offer  fifty 
pounds  of  stiping  every  year."  A  call  was  given  to  the 
Rev.  John  Macdonald,  Ireland,  and  the  congregation, 
finding  that  their  funds  were  "  not  strong,"  collected  the 
necessary  funds  privately  for  presenting  the  minister  with 
the  customary  "  suit  of  clothes,  hat,  shoes,  and  stockings." 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  137 

The  ordination  dinner  was  purveyed  by  John  Beatson,  in 
the  Methil,  and  here  is  a  copy  of  the  account  : — 

David  Christy,  a  chopin  of  gin  and  ten  backes,  £030 

Mr  Beatson's  account  for  dinner,      -        -         -  1  16    3 

David  Christy,  for  house  room,         -        -         -  010 

Tent  prepaired,         -         -         -         -         -         -  084 

Instruments  taken  at  the  Presbytery,      -        -  030 

To  Mr  Beatson's  servant,  trouble,    -        -        -  010 

Borrowed  cash, 210 

HOW    THE    FIRST    CHURCH    WAS    BUILT. 

Dr  Mackelvie  says  the  church  was  built  in  1794  ;  but 
there  is  no  mention  of  this  in  the  accounts,  although  in 
1797  we  are  told  that  a  subscription  was  made  in  order  to 
put  a  "loft"  in  the  church.  From  "Poems  on  Different 
Subjects,"  by  William  Rankine,  Leven,  which  was  pub- 
lished in  1812,  we  get  some  light  on  the  building  of  the 
church.  Rankine  opens  with  a  pen  and  ink  sketch  of  the 
first  minister,  describes  the  building,  and  then  the  congre- 
gation. He  thus  writes  of  the  minister : — 

"  Wi'  solemn  gloom  his  brow  he  deck't, 
An'  joined  a  pious,  haly  sect ; 
An'  now  a  flock  was  straying  wide, 
An'  he  was  sent  that  flock  to  guide. 
But  how  to  get  a  house  to  hold  them, 
That  he  might  weekly  stand  an'  scold  them, 
Their  want  o'  siller  sair  perplexed  them, 
An'  night  an'  day  wi'  torment  vexed  them. 

But  what  is't  zeal  cannot  perform, 
When  splinder  new,  an'  piping  warm — 
A  house  which  was  the  famed  resort 
For  every  kind  o'  jovial  sport, 
Hung  round  wi'  dirty  tousy  pallets, 
An'  crammed  wi'  beggars'  mealy  wallets, 
Of  wham  ilk  night  came  here  a  score 
To  drink,  an'  fight,  an'  curse,  an'  roar. 


138  RAMBLES   IN   SCOONIE   AND    WEMYSS. 

How  wond'rous  now  the  alteration, 
Purged  clean  o'  a'  sic  consternation, 
,  That  house  were  Clooty  nightly  ranted, 

To  sighing  saints  it's  walls  has  granted  ; 
Where  impious  actions  once  abounded, 
The  strains  o'  Zion  now  are  sounded  ; 
Where  drunken  discord  shook  the  air, 
The  groans  o'  haly  love  are  there." 

The  Rev.  John  Row,  minister  of  the  parish  of  Caruock, 
near  Dunfermline,  was  one  of  the  originators  of  the  open- 
air  Communion  services  which  Burns  gave  the  name  of 
"  Holy  Fairs."  Row  was  an  uncompromising  opponent  of 
Episcopacy,  and  because  of  his  non-conformity  he  was 
"  confyned  to  his  own  congregation  "  by  the  High  Com- 
mission of  St  Andrews.  Row  invited  the  ministers  who 
had  been  deprived  of  their  livings  to  Carnock  every  year, 
and  people  nocked  to  the  gatherings  which  he  organised 
from  all  parts  of  the  "Kingdom."  The  open-air  Com- 
munion services  survived  the  deposition  of  the  Bishops, 
but  the  services  fell  sadly  from  their  "  original  state,"  and 
in  1785  they  received  a  staggering  blow  from  Burns  in  the 
greatest  of  all  his  satires,  "  The  Holy  Fair."  Mr  Mac- 
donald,  the  first  minister  of  Dubbieside,  was  a  believer  in 
the  open-air  services,  and  at  the  very  time  Burns'  poem 
was  being  recited  in  every  town  and  village  he  instituted 
the  series  of  tent-meetings  through  which  thousands  of 
people  were  for  years  brought  together  on  the  banks  of 
the  Leven.  Rankine  tries  to  catch  the  spirit  of  Burns  in 
his  reference  to  the  open-air  services.  He  says  :— 

"  His  stipend  was  but  very  spare, 
Nor  had  they  means  to  mak'  it  rnair  ; 
To  mak'  amends  an'  do  nae  wrang, 
His  hoi}-  fairs  came  thick  and  thrang, 
Which  made  the  lads  an'  lasses  run 
To  shew  their  claes,  an'  taste  the  fun  ; 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  139 

An'  gin  sic  days  brought  pleasant  weather, 
Platefu's  o'  bawbees  he  would  gather ; 
An'  sometimes  feeling  fowk,  wha  kend  him, 
Wad  hens,  an'  eggs,  an'  butter  send  him." 

FROM  THE  MANAGERS'  BOOK. 

The  Managers'  book  shows  that  the  poverty  of  the  con- 
gregation did  not  keep  them  from  doing  princely  acts. 
Mr  Macdonald  had  assistance  at  the  Communion  gather- 
ings from  many  ministers  outwith  the  district.  The 
ministers  were  put  up  at  the  "  manse,"  and  the  congrega- 
tion thoughtfully  subscribed  £4  towards  Mr  Macdonald's 
household  expenses.  In  1778  four  labourers  were  engaged 
at  the  church  for  some  days,  and  the  following  item  shows 
that  the  toilers  were  regaled  with  the  nappie  ales  which 
were  so  popular  in  far-off  days  : — "  To  drinks  for  four  men 
severally  employed,  Is  7d."  Mr  Macdonald  resigned  in 
1817,  and  went  to  Thurso.  Two  years  elapsed  before  the 
congregation  was  able  to  call  the  Rev.  William  Harper 
from  Kilmaurs.  Mr  Harper  was  ordained  in  April  1819. 
He  died  on  the  16th  October  1853,  in  the  35th  year  of  his 
ministry.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Andrew  Nicol, 
who  had  itinerated  as  a  probationer  for  40  years.  Mr 
Nicol  was  ordained  on  13th  February  1855,  and  demitted 
his  charge  on  account  of  age  and  infirmities  on  24th  Sep- 
tember 1861.  Successive  calls  were  given  to  three  minis- 
ters, but  they  declined  to  go  to  I)ubbieside.  The  Rev. 
Robert  Fisher,  from  Perth,  ultimately  accepted,  however, 
and  was  ordained  on  19th  January  1864.  The  flock  suf- 
fered during  the  vacancy  of  three  years,  but  despite  this 
and  the  fact  that  the  handloom  was  vanishing  away,  Mr 
Fisher  took  up  work  in  the  district  with  much  pluck. 
Before  many  years  had  expired  he  had  a  manse  built,  and 


140  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

as  soon  as  it  was  clear  of  debt  he  inaugurated  a  church 
building  scheme.  The  church,  which  was  built  on  the  site 
of  the  old  building  and  was  opened  in  1878,  cost  .£1400. 
Mr  Fisher  resigned  in  1880,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
James  W.  Drennan,  M.Ai,  who  was  ordained  on  9th  May 
1882,  and  who  died  in  1901.  The  Rev.  H.  W.  Cochran 
came  next,  and  after  labouring  in  the  district  for  two 
years  left  for  South  Africa.  The  Rev.  Robert  Ingles,  the 
present  incumbent,  was  ordained  on  19th  May  1904.  Mr 
Inglis  studied  in  Glasgow,  Edinburgh,  and  Munich  Uni- 
versities. He  is  an  M.A.  of  Glasgow. 

When  Mr  Fisher  left  there  was  a  debt  of  £400  on  the 
church.  To  the  credit  of  the  congregation  the  debt  was 
soon  wiped  off.  In  connection  with  the  centenary  celebra- 
tions of  1893,  a  scheme  of  renovation  was  carried  through, 
and  a  debt  of  £400  incurred.  Mr  Ingles  and  his  Session 
have  decided  to  make  an  effort  to  clear  oft'  this  adverse 
balance  in  the  year  of  grace  1905. 

THE    SALT    INDUSTRY. 

The  firm  of  R.  &  D.  Gibb  have  established  a  saltwork 
in  Innerleven.  It  is  the  only  remnant  of  the  salt  trade  of 
other  days.  The  Messrs  Gibb  commenced  work  at  Methil 
in  the  seventies,  but  on  the  dock  being  extended  they 
built  a  new  work  at  Innerleven  and  stopped  operations  at 
Methil. 


THE  SHIPPING    PORT  OF  HETHIL. 

Because  of  the  changes  brought  about  by  a  revival  in 
the  raining  industry,  Methil  at  first  sight  looks  a  place  of 
yesterday.  Yet  the  town  has  a  history  which  goes  back 
for  centuries.  As  far  back  as  the  twelfth  century,  in  the 
days  of  William  the  Lion,  Michael  of  Methil  and  Wemyss, 
we  are  told,  nourished  in  the  district.  Since  the  days  of 
Michael,  the  Wernyss  family  have  been  closely  identified 
with  Methil,  and  the  successive  branches  of  the  family 
have  had  a  good  deal  to  do  with  the  industrial  revivals 
which  at  intervals  have  come  to  the  district  like  a  tidal 
wave.  The  estate  of  Methil  or  Methkill — a  name  derived 
from  the  Culdee  cell  or  church  which  stood  on  the  slopes 
of  Methilinill — was  held  by  Michael  under  the  bishops  of 
St  Andrews.  Michael  was  succeeded  by  Sir  John  of 
Methil  and  Wemyss,  and  Sir  James  Fraser,  in  his  ex- 
haustive work,  which  bears  the  title  of  "  Memorials  of  the 
Family  of  Wemyss  of  Wemyss,"  tells  us  that  the  earliest 
known  date  at  which  Sir  John  appears  on  record  as  Sir 
John  of  Methil  is  the  year  1212,  when  an  important 
decision  was  given  by  the  Bishop  of  St  Andrews  in  con- 
nection with  lands  held  by  the  Church  between  the  burgh 
of  St  Andrews  and  Boarhills.  John  of  Methil  witnessed 
various  charters  of  Malcolm,  Earl  of  Fife,  and  he  received 
the  rank  of  knighthood  between  1231  and  1240.  David 
Wemyss,  the  son  and  heir  of  Sir  John  Wemyss  of  Reres 


142  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

and  Isabel  Erskine,  was  often  styed  the  lord  or  laird  of 
Methil,  and  he  received  a  charter  of  the  lands  in  1424  to 
himself  and  his  wife  on  their  marriage  from  Henry 
Wardlaw,  the  Bishop  of  St  Andrews.  In  1575  John 
Douglas,  Archbishop  of  St  Andrews,  created  the  lands  of 
Methil  into  a  barony  called  the  Barony  of  Methil.  Sir 
John  Weruyss  of  that  ilk,  the  first  Earl  of  Wemyss,  who 
succeeded  to  the  estates  in  1622,  was  the  first  to  take  up 
the  development  of  the  minerals  at  Methil,  and  from  his 
time  Methil  figures  very  prominently  in  the  papers  of  the 
Wemyss  family. 

Sir  John  Wemyss  had  a  strong  scent  for  the  treasures 
which  lay  hidden  under  the  surface.  He  engaged  an 
English  boring  engineer  and  had  tests  made  in  the  hope  of 
discovering  coals  on  the  various  estates  which  belonged  to 
the  family  of  Wemyss.  He  was  the  first  to  discover  coal 
at  Methil,  and  he  had  some  of  the  seams  opened  up.  In 
the  year  before  his  death  he  wrote  a  document  in  which  he 
gave  instructions  to  his  son,  Lord  Elcho,  how  to  work  the 
coalfields  on  the  Wemyss  estate.  The  Earl  of  Wemyss 
was  also  an  extensive  salt  manufacturer. 

riethil  as  a  Burgh  of  Barony. 

In  1572  John  Douglas,  Archbishop  of  St  Andrews, 
created  the  lands  of  Methil,  with  its  grain  and  "fuling" 
mills,  and  mill  lands,  Hill  and  Pirny,  the  superiority  of 
Innerleven,  and  two  parts  of  Little  Kilmux,  with  the 
office  of  bailie  and  keepership  of  the  water  of  Leven,  to 
which  was  attached  the  duty  of  every  ninth  fish  and  other 
fees,  into  the  barony  of  Methil.  David,  second  Earl  of 
Wemyss,  attended  the  first  Parliament  of  Charles  II.  in 
1661,  and  in  1664  he  was  summoned,  as  a  Commissioner, 
by  Archbishop  Sharp  to  visit  the  University  at  St 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS. 


143 


Andrews.  This  was  the  beginning  of  a  close  friendship 
between  the  Bishop  and  the  Earl.  The  establishment  of 
Episcopacy  was  followed  by  the  restoration  of  the  Church 
lands  to  the  Bishops,  and  the  Earl's  barony  of  Methil  once 
more  came  under  the  superiority  of  the  See  of  St  Andrews. 
The  Earl  maintained  friendly  relations  with  the  Arch- 
bishop, and  he  obtained  the  erection  of  Methil  into  a  free 


Patrick] 


[Edinburgh 


Methil  from  Bay  view. 

burgh  of  barony,  with  a  weekly  market  on  Wednesdays, 
and  two  fairs  in  the  year — 22nd  June  and  27th  December 
— and  the  feu-duty  he  then  paid  for  the  barony  was  20s 
Scots  yearly.  In  1665  the  Earl  raised  the  question  of  a 
regrant  of  the  lands  to  himself  and  his  heirs.  Mr  Patrick 
Scott  of  Langshaw,  to  whom  the  work  of  procuring  the 
necpssary  documents  was  entrusted,  had  a  difficulty  in 
getting  the  papers.  In  a  letter  to  the  Earl,  Mr  Scott 


144  RAMBLES    IN   SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

states  that  the  Archbishop's  chamberlain  had  told  him  that 
there  was  more  to  be  said  than  the  payment  of  the  "  few- 
dutie,"  "  that  lykewayis  thair  behoved  to  be  wryt  gevin  be 
your  lordship  for  coalles  yeerlie."  The  demand  for  coals 
"stumbled"  Mr  Scott,  and  it  also  "stumbled"  the  Earl. 
Despite  this,  the  Earl  sent  the  Archbishop  a  boatload  of 
coals  on  the  20th  September  1665,  and  seven  days  there- 
after the  infeftment  in  the  barony  came.  Earl  David  was 
proud  of  the  documents  when  they  did  come,  and  in 
acknowledging  their  receipt  he  intimated  to  the  Arch- 
bishop that  he  would  send  him  a  boatload  of  coals  yearly. 

The  Methil  fairs  began  to  be  held  in  1666,  and  the 
Countess  of  "Wemyss  had  much  interest  in  them.  She 
spent  as  much  as  100  dollars  on  wares  from  the  chapmen, 
and  a  horse  race  was,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  times, 
inaugurated — a  saddle,  a  bonnet,  and  a  pair  of  shoes  being 
the  prizes.  So  that  Methil  might  become  a  place  worthy 
of  the  title  of  a  burgh  of  barony,  he  erected  a  cross.  The 
cross,  we  are  told  by  Lament,  was  built  "  beyonde  James 
Lundy's  howse  in  the  linkes,  not  nire  any  howse,  5  steps 
high  rownd  abowt,  and  in  the  middst  of  it  a  long  piece  of 
wood  standing  up  with  a  thane  (vane)  on  itt,  having  Er. 
D.W.  and  C.M.W.  cutt  on  the  iyron." 

The  Old  Church  of  Methil. 

On  6th  September  1582,  John  Wemyss  and  his  heirs 
were  appointed  patrons  of  the  rectory  and  vicarage  of 
the  Parish  Church  of  Methil.  There  is  no  trace  whatever 
of  the  church  and  rectory  of  these  far-off  days.  When  the 
Methilmill  cemetery  was  being  extended  some  years  ago, 
the  foundations  of  a  building  of  considerable  demensions 
were  laid  bare  in  connection  with  some  excavations,  and 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  was  the  site  of  the  church, 


THH    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  141 

which  very  possibly  dated  back  to  the  days  of  David  I. 
In  1665,  David  the  second  Earl  of  Wemyss  had  some 
correspondence  with  the  Archbishop  regarding  the  Kirk  of 
Methil.  The  Earl  and  his  father  had  during  the  Pro- 
testant wave  which  followed  the  Reformation  cheerfully 
given  up  their  rights  to  the  Kirk.  The  restoration  of 
Episcopacy  resuscitated  the  old  rights,  and  the  church  was 
once  more  in  the  Earl's  hands.  In  1711,  David  third  Earl 
of  Wemyss  obtained  a  charter  of  r^grant  of  all  his  estates, 
and  the  patronage  of  the  church  of  Methil  is  mentioned 
among  the  lands  for  which  a  new  charter  was  granted. 
Methil  church  from  this  date  drops  out  of  view  historically, 
and  the  old  church  in  East  Wemyss  becomes  the  ecclesias- 
tical centre  for  the  parish. 

The  Great  Earl  David's  Coal  Works. 

The  first  Earl  of  Wemyss  was  succeeded  l»y  David  the 
second  Earl,  who  to  this  day  is  spoken  of  as  the  "  Great 
Earl  David."  He  carried  out  many  improvements  on  his 
lands,  and  launched  many  big  coal  and  salt  work  schemes. 
Earl  David  was  not  slow  in  taking  the  advice  of  his  father 
about  the  minerals,  and  shortly  after  his  succession  he 
commenced  an  extraordinary  scheme  of  development,  for 
the  times,  at  Methil.  The  mines  of  those  days  were  all 
"in-going-eyes"  run  in  from  the  sea  shore  or  from  the 
sides  of  burns  and  rivers,  so  that  the  water  might  run 
from  the  working  faces  to  the  "  day  "  without  the  use  of 
machinery.  Earl  David  found  coal  cropping  out  in  the 
glen  of  Denbeath,  near  Methil,  and  here  he  opened  out 
what  afterwards  became  "The  Happy  Mine."  In  a 
valuable  MS.  document  which  he  left,  written  by  his  own 
hand,  the  Earl  tells  us  that  he  had  struck  as  many  as 
seven  seams  of  coal  in  the  mine,  while  running  through 

j 


142  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

the   rnetals   for  a  distance   of   600    fathoms.     Writing  in 
1671,  the  Earl  says: — 

"lam  still  working  that  level  in  stone  with  two  men  in  it  day 
and  night,  except  Sundays.  I  give  them  10s  Scots  a  day,  their 
bearers  4s  Scots  a  day,  the  windles  men  get  6s  Scots  a  day  or  night. 
I  sharp  their  picks  and  furnish  their  candles." 

The  mine  was  run  through  the  strata  all  the  way  to 
Kirkland. 

The  First  Harbour  at  Hethil. 

Before  he  had  proceeded  to  open  up  the  "  Happy 
Mine,"  the  Earl  recognised  that  the  development  of  the 
minerals  would  be  of  little  use  without  a  harbour,  and  in 
1660  he  applied  to  the  King  for  power  to  proceed  with  the 
construction  of  a  harbour.  The  royal  sanction  was  duly 
forthcoming,  and  the  Earl  writes  :— "  The  King — God  bless 
him — did  give  me  a  new  gift  to  bould  a  herbure  at  Methill, 
1660."  In  the  ensuing  summer,  1661,  the  Earl  commenced 
the  work.  Satisfactory  progress  was  made  for  18  months; 
but  in  November  1662  a  terrible  set  back  was  experienced 
through  a  storm.  Lamont  thus  chronicles  the  destruction 
caused  to  the  new  harbour  of  Methil : — 

"A  great  part  of  my  Lord  Wemys  new  harboury,  that  he  was 
building  be-west  the  Saltgreine,  was  throwen  downe  and  spoilt ; 
yea,  some  of  the  very  foundation  stones  were  turned  up,  so  that 
some  did  report  that  ten  thousand  markes  wold  hardly  make  up  his 
losse  againe  in  it." 

The  devastation  caused  by  the  storm  did  not  paralyse 
the  Earl  of  Wemyss.  Within  two  years  of  the  date  of  the 
catastrophe  the  harbour  was  finished.  The  Earl  thus 
records  in  his  diary  the  loading  of  the  first  boat  at  the 
harbour : — 

"  I  was  one  6  September  1664,  54  yeirs  of  eaydge.  One  15 
September  1664,  Andrew  Thomsone  in  Leiuen  did  leade  his  botte 
in  the  new  herbure  of  Methill,  with  colles  from  the  colic  of  Methill, 


AROUND    THE     PARISH.  143 

being  60  leades  of  colles,  and  he  did  tak  them  to  Leith  on  17  of 
September  1664,  which  was  the  first  botte  that  didleade  with  colles 
att  that  herbure.  The  colls  uas  well  loued  att  Leith,  and  since 
thorrow  all  sea  ports  in  Scotland.  I  sould  them  then  att  5  li  the  12 
lodes  and  2  sh.  to  the  griue.  I  give  22d  for  uining  them  to  the 
coller,  and  1  sh.  2d  to  the  Caller  (driver)  of  them  from  the  colle 
pitte  to  the  herbure." 

There  was  no  end  to  the  Earl's  enterprise,^  and  within 
a  year  of  the  opening  of  the  harbour  he  built  two  saltpans 
at  Methil.  "With,"  we  are  told,  "a  new  howse,  high  and 
low,  with  divers  rowms,  att  the  said  harbowr,  the  roof 
being  a  plaitforme."  So  as  to  give  greater  facilities  focr 
carting  coals,  a  bridge  was  thrown  across  the  Leven  at 
Bassmill.  The  Earl's  expenditure  on  the  harbour  and 
other  works  amounted  to  £100,000  Scots,  and  the  follow- 
ing entry  in  the  diary  is  interesting,  inasmuch  as  it  gives 
the  detailed  expenditure  connected  with  the  other  works: — : 

I  must  tell  you  what  thes  works  has  beine  to  m^.  since  2  May 
1662,  that  I  begoude  the  herbure  or  peire  of  Methill  to  this  2  Febr. 
1677,  being  many  yeirs.  The  stone  herbure  uas  thrisse  ouir 
throwin  or  I  gott  itt  to  any  perfectione,  and  it  hes  beine  to  me 
40,000  lib  Scotts  to  this  day,  2  Feby.  1677— "Wes."  Then  the 
mynd  for  to  drye  the  7  colles  uas  30,000  lib ;  then  the  boulding  of 
7  pans  and  ther  patts  20,000 ;  then  the  gritte  doubell  housse,  and 
the  horsse  work  that  uas  5  yeirs  one  colle  att' the  Hill  of  Methrlle 
or  the  mynd  was  wrought,  cost  10,000  lib — "  Wemyss." 

The  Earl  left  numerous  documents  behind  him  bearing 
on  the  mineral  resources  and  developments.  A  short  time 
before  his  death  he  "  sett  doune  the  trew  conditions  of  all  his 
colles  "  in  his  diary,  "  so  that  his  posteritie  may  know  how 
he  left  them."  He  says  : — "  It  is  weil  known  that  I  leaue 
them  many  good  colles  att  West  Wemyss,  and  also  att 
Methill,  7  ther;  uhich  colles  serves  the  most  part  of  Fife 
by  land." 


144  RAMBLES    I\    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

Glimpses  at  Coal  Working  in  Eighteenth  Century. 

David  third  Earl  of  Wemyss  succeeded  to  the  estates 
in  1705,  and  died  in  1720.  He  was  born  in  1678.  He 
inherited  all  the  enterprise  of  his  grandfather. 

In  1700,  Andrew  Mellville,  M.D.,  offered  to  improve 
the  coal  workings  at  Methil  and  Kirkland,  and,  as  the 
result  of  various  meetings,  Lord  Elcho  handed  over  the 
control  of  the  mining  operations  and  the  superintendence 
of  the  transit  of  the  coals  to  this  medical  man.  On  his 
succession  to  the  estates,  however,  his  lordship  once  more 
assumed  the  command  of  the  coal  workings  and  their 
connections  with  the  Methil  harbour.  Miners  in  those 
days  were  slaves.  They  were  adscripti  yleba>,,  or  slaves  of 
the  soil,  and  were  liable  to  be  sold  with  the  colliery,  or 
handed  over  on  loan  by  one  coalmaster  to  another. 

We  have  an  illustration  of  the  condition  of  the  miners  of 
Wemyss  in  the  days  of  Lord  Elcho  in  a  document  which 
lies  in  the  Womyss  charter  chest.  The  document  takes 
the  form  of  an  acknowledgment  by  Mr  Christopher  Seton, 
brother  of  the  Earl  of  Winton,  of  having  received  on  loan 
from  David  Lord  Elcho  the  persons  of  six  colliers  and 
eleven  bearers,  all  belonging  to  Lord  Elcho,  who  were  to 
be  employed  at  Tranent,  at  Lord  Winton's  colliery,  so  long 
as  Lord  Elcho  had  no  use  for  them  in  the  parish  of 
Wemyss.  Lord  Winton  obliged  himself  to  re-deliver  the 
miners  and  bearers  on  demand.  The  document  is  dated 
1704. 

The  system  of  lending  miners  was  not  by  any 
means  confined  to  the  Wemyss  estate.  In  a  Dunfermline 
Corporation  minute  it  is  stated  that  the  Earl  of  Rothes 
sent  a  letter  to  the  Town  Council  asking  for  the  loan  of 


AROUND    THE    PAHISH.  145 

two  colliers,  and  the  Council  "  warranted  the  Bailies  to 
lend  to  the  Earl  David  Murgain  and  George  Brown,  upon 
the  Earl's  bond  to  restore  them  upon  demand  without 
expense.  And  in  case  Lady  Pittencrief  wants  William 
Watson,  warrants  the  Bailies  to  lend  Watson  to  her." 

James  fourth  Earl  of  Wemj'ss  did  not  take  a  pro- 
minent part  in  the  politics  of  the  day ;  but  he  took  an 
active  oversight  of  his  salt  and  coal  workings.  From 
the  voluminous  correspondence  which  he  leaves  behind 
him  it  appears  that,  although  the  salters  and  miners 
were  practically  slaves,  they  could  sometime^  give  a  good 
deal  of  trouble.  In  a  letter  written  from  Norton, 
Durham,  to  his  factor,  Lord  Wemyss  says  : — 

"  Since  these  tenants  are  so  stubborn  that  they  won't  coall  the 
pans  without  their  own  price,  I  know  no  other  way  than  first  to 
protest  against  them  for  damnadgos  done  me  by  their  not  working, 
and  then  to  cause  Baily  Malcolm  hold  a  Court  on  Munday,  and 
any  who  stand  indebted  to  me  by  the  list,  of  rests  to  throw  him  in 
prison  untill  he  pay'd,  and  to  break  one  of  their  tacks  to  deterr 
them  from  doing  so  in  the  future.  I  think  all  the  salt  that's  lost  by 
the  pans  not  going  should  be  stated  to  their  account." 

Further  correspondence  shows  that  when  an  arrest  of 
one  of  the  salters  was  attempted,  the  officer  was  deforced. 
The  miners  at  the  same  time  were  giving  trouble.  In  one 
of  his  letters  the  Earl  says  : — 

"  Don't  forgett  to  write  the  name  of  the  coallier  and  his  wife 
which  run  away  from  Methill  a  few  days  before  I  left  home,  and 
desire  William  Forbes  to  search  for  them  at  Pinkie,  and  for  Lindsay, 
and  gett  them  over." 

It  is  impossible  to  say  whether  William  Forbes  was 
successful  in  his  quest  for  the  collier  and  his  wife  arid 
Lindsay  ;  but  it  is  apparent  from  the  correspondence  which 
follows  that  the  Earl  and  his  managers  did  not  then  set 


146  RAMBLES     IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

over  their  labour  troubles.      About  a  year  later  he  writes 
as  follows : — 

,  "  I  do  not  see  you  had  any  occasion  to  delay  requireing  back 
stragled  ooalliers  till  you  had  advis'd  with  the  commissioners,  for 
that  was  a  strict  charge  given  you  to  look  after  them,  and  in 
consequence  of  the  coall  propritors  meeting  at  Edinburgh  ;  there- 
fore the  moment  a  coallier  leaves  his  work  he  ought  to  be  sent  after 
immediately,  otherwise  it  gives  him  time  to  get  into  England, 
where  he  can  never  be  recovered.  And  when  the  grieves  don't 
.represent  this  to  you  in  time,  they  ought  to  suffer  for  it.  Besides 
the  coalliers,  their  children  should  be  all  look't  after  and  sett  to 
work  below  ground  when  capable,  and  not  allowed  to  hirr'd  cattle, 
or  go  to  service,  as  many  of  them  have  done,  and  I  wish  may  not 
be  the  case  as  yett.  And  if  you  see  it  for  my  benefitt,  and  that 
there's  work  and  room  for  more  people  below  ground,  why  don't 
you  gett  some  of  Balbirny's  coalliers,  who  are  now  in  different 
parts  of  the  country,  and  nobody's  property.  Pray  are  Alexander 
Leslie's  and  Thomas  Lumsden's  children  now  working  at  the  coall 
work  ?" 

In  another  letter  written  from  Norton,  Lord  Wemyss 
says,  just  as  he  was  finishing  his  note,  William  Cairns,  a 
sailor,  who  lived  at  Campveer,  brought  him  a  present  of 
chocolate,  and  ask't  the  favour  of  credit  for  ten  dozen 
coalls.  He  is,  the  Earl  proceeds,  "  Archibald  Cairns, 
Methlll  coallier's  son,  and  I  suppose  has  elop't  from  the 
works.  However,  as  the  lad  has  been  long  absent,  I  could 
not  discourage  him  by  refusing  his  demand." 

nethil  Coals  seized  by  Government. 

In  1722,  an  incident  occurred  beyond  the  Isle  of  May 
which  brought  a  protest  from  the  Earl  of  Wemyss,  and 
throws  some  light  on  the  export  trade  then  done  in  Methil 
coals.  A  Dutch  laden  ship  was  seized  by  the  Custom 
House  authorities,  taken  to  Burntisland  and  detained. 
The  Earl  wrote  the  Commissioners  stating  that  in  conse- 
quence of  a  gift  from  the  crown,  granted  as  early  as  1330, 


AROUND    THE    PARISH.  147 

"he  had  been  in  the  possession  of  granting  coquets, 
searching  all  ships,  and  of  ane  exemption  and  freedom  of 
paying  any  duty  upon  coal  from  the  harbour  of  Methil," 
and  that  as  well  before  the  Union  as  since  that  time.  The 
Earl  also  argued  that  the  Treaty  of  Union  accepted  and 
reserved  all  special  rights  of  exemption  enjoyed  by  persons 
in  either  kingdom.  The  exemption  enjoyed  by  the  Earl 
applied  only  to  coal  drawn  from  his  own  collieries,  and  no 
claim  had  ever  been  set  up  for  merchandise.  The  Earl's 
arguments  for  a  continuance  of  the  exemption  sound 
extremely  like  the  arguments  used  by  coalmasters 
to-day  in  connection  with  the  coal  tax.  He  stated 
that  he  and  his  late  father  had  expended  large  sums 
of  money  in  connection  with  their  coal  works,  and  had 
entered  into  contracts  with  Dutch  merchants,  and  had 
worked  out  a  considerable  trade  with  other  foreign  ports. 
Tf  the  privilege  was  to  be  infringed,  the  Dutch  would  be 
driven  to  trade  with  other  countries,  and  irretrievable 
injury  inflicted  on  the  Wemyss  coal  trade.  The  trade,  it 
was  further  set  forth,  if  once  diverted  would  not  easily  be 
recovered,  "  as  by  experience  was  found  when  ane  inter- 
ruption was  made  by  the  privateers  on  the  coast  during 
the  late  war." 


148 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


(By  permiggitn  <if  Mcwx  Huntinc  iO  Mitchell.) 
nethil  Dock 


AROUND    THE    PARISH.  149 

Methil  Dock  of  To-Day. 

Robert  Louis  Stevenson  writes  somewhere  of  the 
"  flight  of  time  and  the  succession  of  men."  In  the  "  flight 
of  time  and  succession  of  men,"  Methil  has, seen  a  good 
many  changes.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  biggest 
change  of  all  has  been  experienced  during  the  past  35 
years.  Writing  in  1789,  the  Rev.  George  Gibb  says  : — 

"  A  waggon  way  of  two  miles  from  the  pits  at  Kirkland  to 
Methil  has  just  been  completed,  and  everything  promises  an  ex- 
tensive trade  ....  It  would  not  be  at  all  surprising  to  see  in 
a  few  years  Methil  rank  among  the  first  coal  ports  of  Scotland." 

Before  Mr  Gibb's  notes  had  been  put  in  print,  oper- 
ations had  been  entirely  suspended  at  the  Kirkland  pits. 
In  1803,  the  east  pier  at  Methil  was  ruined  by  a  strong 
gale.  In  1815,  General  Wemyss  was  fully  alive  to  the 
necessity  for  reconstruction,  and  he  applied  to  the 
Government  for  a  loan  of  £5000  or  a  partial  grant  of 
money  towards  the  improvement  of  the  harbour.  In  his 
letter  to  the  Government  the  General  pointed  out  that  the 
harbour  had  been  built  by  private  enterprise  one  hundred 
years  previously,  and  while  the  Wemyss  family  derived  no 
revenue  from  the  use  of  the  harbour,  the  Government 
drew  custom-dues  annually  from  tire  port  for  salt  alone 
amounting  to  from  £8,000  to  £10,000.  A  direct  negative 
was  returned  to  the  appeal.  The  harbour  remained  in  its 
wrecked  state  until  1838,  when  £-1,800  was  spent  on 
repairs.  At  this  time  there  was  really  little  to  justify  a 
big  expenditure  on  the  harbour.  With  the  withdrawal  of 
the  salt  tax,  the  staple  industry  of  Methil  received  a 
terrible  blow,  and  one  by  one  the  salt  pans  were  stopped. 
By  1830  there  was  left  a  range  of  buildings  which  only 
depressed  people  who  could  look  back  on  the  days  when 


150  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

the  windmills  and  the  seawater  pumps  of  the  pans  were 
in  almost  perpetual  motion.  At  one  time  it  looked  as  if 
the  fallen  fortunes  of  the  village  were  to  be  retrieved  by 
shipbuilding,  and  by  the  manufacture  of  oil  ;  but,  alas  ! 
neither  industry  stayed,  and  in  the  sixties  the  traffic  at 
Methil  harbour  consisted  principally  cf  an  occasional  cargo 
of  parrot  from  the  Methilhill  district  and  the  imports  and 
exports  for  the  Kirkland  spinning  and  linen  manufacturing 
works. 

In  1864,  when  Messrs  Bowman  &  Company  com- 
menced operations  at  Muiredge  Colliery,  Methil  was  a 
ramshackle  place.  The  coals  were  at  first  driven  in  carts 
from  Muiredge  pits  to  the  harbour,  and  shipped  in  boats  of 
from  50  to  200  tons.  The  carts  ultimately  gave  place  to  a 
horse  waggon-way  from  the  pits  through  Muiredge  den, 
and  when  the  output  of  coals  had  increased,  horses  gave 
place  to  a  locomotive.  By  1880,  the  Fife  Coal  Company 
were  drawing  a  considerable  output  of  coals  from  the 
Leven  pits,  and  with  developments  at  Muiredge  and  Leveri 
collieries,  Methil  changed  rapidly — crumbling  walls  and 
red  roofs  and  outside  stairs  disappeared  at  every  turn. 

Between  1870  and  1880  the  coal  output  of  Fife  was 
doubled,  and  being  fully  alive  to  the  necessity  for  greater 
facilities  for  shipping  coals,  Mr  R.  G.  E.  Wemyss  of 
Wemyss  Castle  resolved  upon  the  construction  of  a  dock 
at  Methil.  In  his  scheme  he  had  every  encouragement 
from  the  Fife  Coal  Company  and  Messrs  Bowman  it 
Company,  who  guaranteed  to  ship  a  certain  amount  of  coals 
annually.  Mr  Wemyss  only  reached  his  majority  in  1879, 
but  really  before  he'was  of  full  age  and  legally  entitled  to 
act  for  himself  he  had  obtained  the  sanction  of  his  curators 
for  the  expenditure  of  £25,000  on  the  Thorn  ton- Buck- 


ABOUND    THE    PARISH.  151 

haven  Railway.  This  was  followed  by  the  purchase  of  the 
Leven  Dock  at  a  cost  of  £12,000  and  the  launching  of  a 
scheme  for  the  construction  of  a  dock  at  Methil  involving 
an  expenditure  of  £100,000.  In  the  days  of  Earl  David, 
Methil  harbour  was  the  best  shipping  port  in  the  east  of 
Scotland.  To-day,  Methil  Dock  is  the  greatest  coal 
shipping  port  in  this  part  of  the  country.  History  does 
not  content  itself  in  bringing  back  the  dignity  which 
Methil  enjoyed  as  a  port  in  the  seventeenth  century,  but 
it  gives  us  a  dock  to-day  which  originated  with  a  direct 
descendant  of  the  man  who  was  in  touch  with  Archbishop 
Sharp  ;  and  who  sent  the  Archbishop  "  a  few  coalles,  the 
best  that  the  coalle  of  Methil  can  afford,"  for  his  kind- 
ness in  confirming  Earl  David's  right  to  "  Methil  toune 
and  harbour." 

How  much  the  Fife  coalfields  have  made  Methil  dock 
and  Methil  dock  has  made  the  Fife  coalfields  will  be 
apparent  when  it  is  stated  that  in  1877 — ten  years  before 
the  dock  was  opened — the  mineral  output  of  the  county 
was  not  more  than  one  and  a  half  million  tons  a  year,  and 
there  were  not  more  than  6000  people  employed  in  and 
about  the  pits.  Although  trying  trade  times  were  ex- 
perienced during  the  next  decade,  considerable  develop- 
ments were  witnessed  at  several  collieries,  and  in  1887  the 
8500  people  engaged  at  the  pits  produced  2,585,412  tons  of 
coal  and  other  minerals.  The  wages  of  the  miners  of  Scot- 
land are  based  on  the  rates  ruling  in  1888 — wages  to  this 
day  rise  and  fall  on  the  1888  basis.  1888  was  one  of  the 
most  trying  years  experienced  in  modern  mining  for 
masters  and  men,  and  wages  fell  to  the  low  figure  of  4s 
per  day.  Coals  would  not  sell  at  a  price  nearly  equal  to 
that  drawn  by  Earl  David  for  the  first  cargo  he  shipped 


152 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


from  his  new  harbour  at  Methil — £5  Scots  for  twelve  loads 
— and  the  output  of  Fife,  like  the  output  of  other  coal 
producing  counties  in  Scotland,  showed  a  shrinkage.  The 
minerals  produced  reached  a  total  of  2,459,395  tons,  a 
decrease  of  126,017  tons.  This  was  a  had  start  for  the 
Methil  dock,  but  happily  a  change  for  the  better  came  in 
1889,  and  with  the  exception  of  1894,  when  operations 
were  suspended  at  the  pits  of  Scotland  for  seventeen  long 
weeks  over  a  wages  dispute,  the  record  since  then  has  been 
one  of  uninterrupted  progress. 

In  1897 — just  a  decade  after  the  dock  was  opened — 
the  output  was  4,152,173  tons,  and  something  like  12,000 
people  were  employed.  In  1904,  when  18,424  people  were 
at  work  above  and  below  ground,  the  record  output  was 
touched  of  6,586,154  tons.  The  following  table  shows  the 
coal  shipments  from  Methil  from  the  date  the  gates  were 
thrown  open  and  the  first  steamer  entered,  and  the  coal 
output  for  Fife  for  the  same  period  : — 


1887, 
1888, 
1889, 
1890, 
1891, 
1892, 
1893, 
1894, 
1895, 
1896, 
1897, 
1898, 
1899, 
1900, 
1901, 
1902, 
1903, 
1904, 


Coals  shipped 
at  Methil. 

Coal  output 
of  Fife. 

Tons. 

Tons. 

219,884 

2,585,412 

410,131 

2,459,395 

556,040 

2,761,616 

666,403 

3,121,646 

701,085 

3,301,000 

810,545 

3,573,818 

832,305 

3,619,530 

*  527,565 

2,784,019 

727,680 

3,911,235 

857,892 

3,633,455 

1,090,324 

4,077,818 

1,230,554 

4,447,569 

1,316,937 

4,927,489 

1,685,476 

5,419,373 

1,574,896 

5,601,501 

1,759,041 

6,134,171 

1,779,078 

6,376,9S5 

1,985,82(5 

(5,586,154 

Minors  on  strike  for  seventeen  weeks. 


AROUND    THE    PARISH. 


153 


There  is  an  inner  and  an  outer  clock.  The  inner  dock, 
which  covers  an  area  of  4|  acres,  was  acquired  by  the 
North  British  Railway  Company  from  Mr  Wemyss.  The 
Company  had  riot  had  control  of  the  undertaking  for 
many  years  when  they  came  to  the  conclusion  that  a  big 
extension  was  necessary,  and  they  forthwith  set  to  work 
and  made  the  new  or  outer  dock,  which  covers  something 


riethil  Dock. 

like  6|  acres,  and  which  was  opened  in  1897.  At  high 
water  in  ordinary  spring  tides  there  is  27  feet  of  water  on 
the  cill,  and  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  from  twenty 
to  thirty  steamers  of  from  1000  to  4000  tons  burthen,  and 
many  small  sailing  vessels,  in  the  docks  and  roads.  Arm- 
strong, Whitworth  &  Co.'s  famous  hydraulic  hoists  are  in 
operation  on  both  docks,  and  it  is  nob  unusual  for  as  much 
as  2,000  tons  of  coal  to  be  handled  at  any  of  the  six  hoists 


154  RAMBLES     IN    SCOON1E    AND    WEMYSS. 

in  operation  within  twenty-four  hours.  An  effective 
installation  of  the  electric  light  pierces  its  way  into  every 
corner  of  the  docks,  and  coals  are  handled  with  as  much 
facility  at  midnight  as  they  are  in  a  noonday  sun.  The 
empty  waggons  are  whisked  from  the  cages  of  the  hoists  on 
to  high-level  runaway  rails,  and  in  time  they  reach  the 
respective  sidings  on  what  an  employee  at  the  dock 
suggestively  speaks  of  as  "  their  own  feet."  There  are 
miles  of  sidings ;  there  are  thousands  of  loaded  and  empty 
waggons;  and  night  and  day  we  have  the  perpetual  puff  of 
steam,  and  the  sharp  piercing  whistle  of  locomotives.  The 
organisation  is  wonderful.  What  a  striking  contrast  the 
Methil  of  to-day  presents  to  the  old  Burgh  of  Barony  when 
its  cobble-stoned  streets  echoed  and  re-echoed  to  the  feet  of 
Earl  David  of  Wemyss,  or  the  tumble-down,  depressing 
Methil  of  45  years  ago,  wheiiuthe  shipments  consisted  of  a 
"  wee  puckle  parrot  coal,"  and  an  occasional  barrel  of 
herrings.  The  docks  and  their  fixtures  cost  something 
like  half-a-million  pounds  sterling. 

An  Interesting  Incident. 

The  Rev.  Dr  Harry  Spens  was  minister  of  the  parish  of 
Wemyss  from  1744  to  1780,  when  he  took  up  the 
Professorship  of  Divinity  in  St  Andrews.  In  1770,  during 
his  incumbency,  a  case  was  called  in  the  Court  of  Session 
which  brought  Methil  prominently  before  the  country.  It 
appears  that  a  gentleman  who  had  taken  up  residence  in 
Methil  from  the  West  Indies,  had  brought  with  him  a 
negro  servant  who  had  been  his  slave.  During  his 
residence  in  Methil  the  slave  embraced  the  Christian 
religion,  and  on  10th  September  1769  was  publicly  baptised 
in  the  Parish  Church  of  East  Wemyss,  taking  the  name  of 
David  Spens.  The  action  of  the  slave  does  not  seem  to 


AROUND    THE    PARISH.  155 

have  had  the  approval  of  the  West  India  merchant,  and 
he  resolved  to  send  him  back  to  the  West  Indies,  selling 
him  to  another  master.  Spens  was  delighted  with  the 
freedom  he  had  had  in  the  bracing  village  of  Methil,  and 
having  had  an  inkling  of  his  master's  intention,  he  left  him, 
and  took  up  his  abode  with  a  farmer  in  Wemyss  parish. 
The  desertion  resulted  in  the  master  raising  a  process  in 
the  Court  of  Session  praying  that  Spens  should  be  ordained 
to  return  to  his  slavery,  and  against  the  farmer  for  advis- 
ing the  foreigner  to  desert,  and  for  affording  him  protection. 
What  added  importance  to  the  action  is  the  fact  that  it  was 
the  first  case  raised  in  England  or  Scotland  in  which  it 
was  judicially  asserted  that  although  slavery  was  allowed 
to  exist  in  the  British  colonies,  a  slave  was  free  the  instant 
he  set  foot  on  British  soil.  In  the  parish  a  great  amount 
of  interest  was  taken  in  the  case,  and  a  large  sum  of 
money  was  raised  to  enable  Spens  to  defend  what  were 
considered  to  be  his  just  rights  and  privileges  as  a  British 
subject.  The  case  was  enrolled  for  January  1770.  Four 
lawyers  were  engaged  for  the  slave,  and  the  case  was 
debated  on  2nd  February  1770.  Memorials  were  ordered 
to  be  given  in  by  both  parties,  but  before  another  stage 
had  been  reached  the  master  died  and  the  case  was  dropped. 
A  most  creditable  feature  in  connection  with  the  case  is 
the  fact  that  the  four  advocates  and  solicitor  who  were 
engaged  for  the  defender  refused  to  accept  any  fee  for 
their  services.  With  the  collapse  of  the  case  the  slave 
obtained  his  freedom,  and  he  returned  to  the  parish  of 
Wemyss  to  do  good  work  for  the  kindly  farmer  who  had 
espoused  his  cause.  The  action  of  the  miners  and  salters 
and  agricultural  labourers  in  the  parish  of  Wemyss  in 
subscribing  for  the  defence  of  the  slave  must  appear  all  the 


156  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

more  creditable  when  it  is  kept  in  mind  that  in  1770  the 
miners  and  salters  were-  not  far  removed  from  serfdom. 
What  is  known  as  the  Emancipation  Act  was  only  passed 
in  1774,  and  it  was  after  all  a  half-hearted  measure. 
The  preamble  set  out  with  the  frank  statement  that 
"  Many  colliers  and  coal-bearers  and  salters  are  in  a  state 
of  slavery  and  bondage,  bound  to  the  collieries  and  salt 
works  where  they  work  for  life,  transferable  with  the 
collieries  and  salt  works  when  their  original  masters  have 
no  further  use  for  them."  The  statute  provided  that  after 
1st  July  1775  no  person  beginning  to  work  as  a  collier, 
coalbearer,  or  salter  was  to  be  bound  in  any  other  way 
than  other  servants ;  but  boys  and  men  who  were  engaged 
at  the  mines  or  at  salt  works  before  the  passing  of  the  Act 
were  left  as  they  were  for  a  certain  number  of  years. 
Complete  emancipation  only  came  in  1799,  and  how  much 
the  Act  of  1774  failed  of  its  purpose  will  be  evident  when  it 
is  stated  that  the  Act  of  1799  opened  with  the  words 
"  Many  colliers  arid  coal-bearers  still  continue  in  a  state  of 
bondage." 

The  Salt  Pans  of  the  Olden  Time. 

At  one  time  salt  was  a  national  industry  in  Scotland. 
The  principal  seats  of  the  industry  were  the  shores  of  the 
Firth  of  Forth  —  the  coal  and  the  sea  supplying  the 
necessary  conditions  for  its  manufacture.  The  southern 
shores  of  the  Forth,  from  Prestonpans  to  Portobello,  were 
studded  with  pans  and  bucket  patts,  and  at  Pittenweem 
and  St  Monans,  and  from  Leven  to  Kirkcaldy  and  from 
Charleston  to  Kincardine  on  the  north  side,  the  collieries 
and  salt  works  were  so  numerous  that  they  led  James  VI. 
to  compare  the  ancient  "  Kingdom  "  to  "  A  beggar's  mantle 
with  a  fringe  of  gold."  How  much  the  coal  industry 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  157 

depended  on  the  salt  trade  is  brought  out  by  an  incident 
which  happened  in  the  days  of  Charles  I.  Some  stupid 
people,  who  were  evidently  afraid  that  the  salt  trade  would 
lead  to  the  early  exhaustion  of  the  coal  supplies,  presented 
a  petition  to  Charles  praying  that  the  export  of  Scotch 
salt  should  be  "  limited  to  a  small  quantity,  saleable 
only  to  a  few  persons  "  The  Magistrates  of  the  city 
of  Edinburgh  were  wise  in  their  day  and  generation  and 
inaugurated  opposition  to  the  proposal,  with  the  result  that 
the  Privy  Council  took  up  the  matter,  and  in  a  letter 
addressed  the  King  as  follows  : — "  Without  the  benefit  of 
the  salt  these  sumptuous  water-works  and  mines  required 
for  maintainance  and  winning  of  the  coal  cannot  be  upheld, 
and  which  being  forsaken  but  for  a  month  the  coal  must 
perish,  never  in  any  age  to  be  regained."  The  Council, 
says  Mr  Hume-Brown,  also  represented  that  half  of  the 
shipping  of  the  "  kingdom "  was  employed  in  the  export 
of  coal  and  salt,  and  they  pleaded  with  Charles  not  to 
strike  a  deadly  blow  at  the  "  mutual  freedom  of  trade  " 
which  his  father  had  maintained  with  "princely  care." 

Writing  in  1662,  Lament  speaks  of  the  "  Saltgriene  "  of 
Methil,  and  in  the  interesting  MS.  documents  which  he 
left  behind  him  David  the  second  Earl  of  Wemyss  tells  us 
that  in  1665  two  new  saltpans  were  constructed,  and  at 
the  same  time  there  was  built  "  with  them  a  new  house, 
high  and  low,  with  divers  rowms  at  the  harbowr,  the 
roofe  being  a  plaitforme."  In  another  note  the  Earl  states 
that  the  "  seven  pans  and  ther  patts "  at  Methil  cost 
20,000  lib.  Scots.  The  salt  pans  of  Methil  were  ultimately 
extended  to  nine,  and  how  much  they  figured  in  the 
industrial  life  of  Methil  will  be  apparent  when  it  is  stated 
that  in  1815,  when  General  Wemyss  applied  to  Govern- 


158  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

ment  for  a  grant  of  £5000  towards  the  improvement  of 
the  harbour,  he  stated  the  Government  drew  annually 
from  £8000  to  £10,000  as  customs  dues  for  salt  alone. 
With  the  withdrawal  of  the  salt  tax  in  1825,  and  the 
discovery  of  the  rock  salt  mines  in  England,  the  whole 
aspect  of  things  soon  became  changed  along  the  shores  of 
the  Firth  of  Forth.  Operations  were  suspended  at  work 
after  work,  the  waves  were  allowed  to  play  at  their  own 
"  sweet  will "  in  the  bucket  patts,  and  very  many  of  the 
pans  and  "  salt-girnels,"  which  had  formed  the  storehouses 
for  the  daily  output  of  the  once  prosperous  works,  were 
deserted  and  allowed  to  decay.  Methil  shared  the  same 
fate  as  many  of  the  burghs  and  villages  on  the  banks  of 
the  Forth. 

The  reports  on  the  salt  works  by  the  ministers  who 
wrote  on  the  parish  in  the  "  Old  "  and  the  "  New  Statistical 
Accounts"  present  a  striking  contrast.  Writing  about 
1790,  the  Rev.  George  Gibb  says : — 

"  There  are  nine  salt  works  at  Methil,  and  seven  at  West 
Wemyss.  These  works  have  been  long  carried  on,  and  much  salt 
is  made  at  them  both  for  land  sale  and  exportation." 

Writing  in  1838,  the  Rev.  John  M'Lachlan  says : — 

"  At  Methil,  where  there  were  formerly  nine  salt  pans,  there 
are  now  none ;  and  at  West  Wemyss,  where  there  were  formerly 
seven,  there  are  only  two,  and  at  present  one  of  them  is  not  work- 
ing. 6,200  bushels  may  be  about  the  annual  average  of  salt  made 
for  the  last  three  years,  the  average  annual  value  of  which  may  be 
£470.  This  forms  at  once  a  very  striking  contrast  to  the  quantity 
of  salt  made  in  this  parish  previous  to  the  abolition  of  the  salt 
duties.  In  1818,  1819,  and  1820,  the  annual  average  sale  of  salt  at 
West  Wemyss  and  Methil  was  50,400  bushels.  The  salt  made  here 
is  excellent,  and  obtains  a  ready  market. " 

The  salt  made  in  the  district  had  all  the  merits  claimed 
for  it  by  Mr  M'Lachlan,  but  it  did  not  find  a  "  ready 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  159 

market  "  at  the  price  it  was  possible  to  produce  it  for,  and 
hence  it  was  that  at  the  very  time  he  was  writing  the  old 
Burgh  of  Barony  was  living  on  the  memory  of  days  when 
it  was  a  busy  and  thriving  place,  with  whirling  windmills, 
smoking  salt  pans,  and  a  busy  harbour. 

The  Haunt  of  "  Thrummy  Cap." 

The  "Gritte  Doubill  Housse "  which  the  Earl  of 
Wemyss  built  on  the  harbourhead  had  ceased  to  be  the 
"salt  house"  it  had  once  been,  and  in  Mr  M'Laohlan's 
days  had  become  the  haunt  of  "  Thrummy  Cap  " — Methil's 
ghost — the  spirit  of  a  Dutch  wood  contractor,  who  had 
often  journeyed  with  wood  to  Methil  and  who  had  failed 
to  get  an  account  squared  with  one  of  his  Fife  patrons. 
For  many  long  years  the  spirit  of  the  Dutch  merchant 
made  periodical  visits  to  the  "  Salt-Girnel  "  of  Methil  and 
presented  the  unsettled  account.  The  visits  from  the 
unseen  world  have  ceased.  Some  say  that  "  Thrummy  " 
ultimately  had  the  satisfaction  of  having  his  promissory 
note  met  with  golden  guineas,  but  people  who  believe 
in  the  spiritual  dictum  that  we  brought  nothing  into  the 
world  and  can  take  as  little  with  us,  do  not  hesitate  to  say 
that  the  busy  Methil  port  of  to-day  is  not  a  place  for 
ghosts,  and  that  when  the  first  blast  of  a  steamer's  horn 
was  heard,  the  visitor  from  the  dim  beyond  took  his  fare- 
well. And  so  the  present  generation  have  as  little  dread 
of  "  Thrummy  Cap "  as  they  have  of  Bailie  Malcolm, 
who  in  1725  was  called  upon  by  the  lord  of  the  manor  to 
punish  the  salters  who  refused  to  "  coall "  the  pans  and  to 
lay  by  the  heels  the  miners  who  attempted  to  run  away. 

Two  Glimpses  of  Methil. 

Barbieri,  who  visited  Methil  in  1856,  says  : — 
"It  is  an  ancient  and  decayed  place.     It  has  a  better  harbour 


160  RAMBLKS    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

on  the  Forth  than  any  in  the  neighbourhood.  Population,  530. 
Many  of  its  houses  are  in  ruins,  and  its  trade  is  nearly  gone.  It 
seems  to  be  the  shrivelled  up  skeleton  of  a  once  important  place." 

Barbieri  is  brutally  frank  in  his  criticisms  of  the 
manners,  customs,  and  villages  in  Fife,  and  in  his  desire  to 
find  fault  he  often  overlooks  redeeming  features.  He  has 
not  a  single  word  to  say  for  the  links  and  the  game  of 
golf,  and  evidently  failed  to  recognise  that  the  people  were 
struggling  to  the  best  of  their  ability  with  an  ebbing 
industrial  tide.  The  Rev.  Peter  M'Ainsh,  who  came  to 
Leven  after  the  Disruption  as  the  missionary  under  the  late 
Mr  Forman,  spent  a  good  deal  of  time  for  several  years 
in  Methil,  and  at  a  bazaar  held  two  years  ago,  in  con- 
nection with  Methil  United  Free  Church,  he  gave  us  the 
following  glimpse  at  the  village  of  fully  half  a  century 
ago:— 

"  Fifty  years  had  passed  last  May  since  he  began  his  labours  as 
preacher  in  connection  with  Methil  Mission.  Fifty  years  were  a 
long  look  back,  and  the  Methil  of  1853  was  very  different  from  the 
Methil  of  1903.  He  could  scarcely  realise  he  was  standing  in 
Methil.  If  time  had  permitted  he  would  have  told  them  some- 
thing of  the  Methil  of  1853 — of  its  beautiful  clean  harbour  ;  of  its 
venerable  buildings,  many  of  them  two  storeys  in  height  with  out- 
side stairs ;  the  frank  furthy  folks,  with  always  a  kindly  welcome 
to  the  minister  ;  of  the  beautiful  links  to  the  east  and  to  the  west, 
and  of  the  comfortable  meeting-place,  known  as  the  '  Salt-ftirnel. ' 
Its  floor  was  strewn  with  sawdust  ;  it  had  beautiful  chandeliers  ; 
its  pulpit  was  covered  with  blue  cloth,  fastened  with  brass  nails, 
and  there  were  two  rows  of  seats  with  backs.  He  gathered  £7  for 
those  seats.  They  had  forenoon  and  evening  services  and  Sunday 
school.  People  came  from  Leven,  Dubbieside,  Kirkland,  and 
Buckhaven  to  the  evening  meetings.  The  gatherings  in  the  '  Salt- 
Girnel'.were  the  origin  of  the  Free  Church,  now  the  United  Free 
Church,  of  Methil." 

The  "  Salt-Girnel,"  like  "  Thrummy,"  has  vanished. 
The  dock  and  railway  occupy  the  site  of  many  of  the  two- 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  161 

storeyed,  red-roofed  houses,  the  "  Sandy  Wynd "  and 
"  Beatson's  Close "  are  so  very  greatly  changed  that  if 
"  Thrummy "  were  to  come  back  to  Methil  he  would  lose 
himself.  The  old  dominies,  Mr  Boon  and  Mr  Steven,  can 
only  be  spoken  of  by  a  few  links  with  the  past,  and  "  The 
Crown,"  where  the  nappie  ale  of  old  was  kept,  and  the  last 
green  at  Jenny  Nicol's  well,  where  many  a  keen  game  of 
golf  was  decided,  are  no  longer  with  us.  In  this  restless 
age  all  is  change.  The  Methil  of  to-day  presents  a  striking 
contrast  to  the  Methil  of  1860.  It  seems  but  yesterday 
since  Peter  Ballingall  and  Peter  Graham  stood  in  the 
"  Sandy  Wynd  "  and  declared  that  the  Wynd  was  hence- 
forth to  be  known  as  Commercial  Street.  And  Com- 
mercial Street  ib  is.  Short  as  the  interval  has  been, 
Methil  has  sprung  from  a  mere  village  to  a  town  of  nearly 
3000  inhabitants. 

The  Established  Church 

can  scarcely  be  ranked  among  the  modern  buildings.  As 
far  back  as  1582,  Sir  John  Wemyss  was  appointed  patron 
of  the  rectory  and  vicarage  of  Methil.  Methil  ultimately 
dropped  out  of  sight  as  an  ecclesiastical  station,  and  after 
a  hiatus  of  many  years  it  again  appears  in  the  church 
records  of  the  district,  through  an  appeal  to  the  Kirkcaldy 
Presbytery  to  erect  a  mission  station  in  the  village.  A 
local  committee  and  the  Presbytery  took  up  the  work  with 
zeal,  and  in  1838  a  church  was  opened  at  a  cost  of  £1200. 
The  foundation  stone  was  laid  in  June  1837.  At  first  it 
was  difficult  to  get  probationers  to  go  and  labour  in 
Methil,  and  as  the  result  there  were  a  good  many  holidays. 
In  1840,  however,  Mr  John  Wilson  took  up  duty  as  a 
missionary,  and  was  succeeded  by  Mr  James  Duff.  Mr 
Duff  was  succeeded  in  1857  by  Mr  James  Morrison, 


162  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

through  whose  labours  in  1876  the  church  was  raised  to 
the  dignity  of  a  quoad  sacra.  On  the  death  of  Mr  Morrison, 
the  Rev.  A.  Aytoun  Young  was  called  to  the  charge.  On 
Mr  Young's  departure  to  Clunie,  Perthshire,  in  1891,  Mr 
Thomas  Muir,  the  present  incumbent,  was  called  to  Methil. 
Mr  Muir  was  educated  at  Glasgow  University,  graduating 
M.A.,  B.D. 

The  United  Free  Church. 

As  far  back  as  1850,  services  wei-e  now  and  again  con- 
ducted in  the  "  Salt-Girnel  "  at  Methil  by  Free  Church 
students.  In  1882,  when  the  place  showed  signs  of 
permanent  growth,  Mr  Robertson,  now  Dr  Robertson 
of  the  City  Temple,  London,  took  up  regular  work  in 
the  district.  Other  students  followed,  and  in  1892 
Methil  was  conceded  the  status  of  a  mission  station.  Mr 
R.  Francis  took  charge  of  the  station,  and  within  two 
years  the  station  was  erected  into  a  regular  charge.  The 
church  was  built  in  1890,  at  a  cost  of  £700,  and 
in  1902-3  an  extension  was  made  at  a  cost  of  fully  £800. 
Mr  Francis  was  educated  at  Glasgow  University. 

The  Seamen's  Institutes. 

If  there  are  any  buildings  in  the  town  which  strike  one 
more  than  others,  these  are  the  German  Mission  station  in 
Durie  Street,  and  the  Scottish  Coast  Mission's  "  Seamen's 
Bethel  "  in  Dock  Street.  On  Methil  giving  promise  of 
being  a  place  which  would  be  visited  annually  by  many 
German  seamen,  a  missionary  began  to  make  periodical 
visits  from  Leith.  In  1898,  the  heads  of  the  German 
Church  in  Edinburgh  and  Leith  arranged  for  a  missionary, 
and  Herr  Voss  was  accordingly  sent  to  the  "  Kingdom." 
In  May  1900,  the  building  which  bears  the  inscription 
"  Deutches  Seemanshaus  "  was  opened  at  a  cost  of  £750 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  163 

It  is  now  upwards  of  eleven  years  since  the  Scottish 
Coast  Mission  commenced  services  among  the  seamen  at 
Methil.  A  building  fund  was  inaugurated  three  years 
ago,  with  the  result  that  the  Bethel  was  opened  in 
September  1904,  at  a  cost  of  fully  £800.  Mr  Boyd,  who 
has  charge  of  the  Mission  under  the  auspices  of  the 
parent  society,  has  been  fully  six  years  in  Methil. 

Pastor  Storen,  Leith  Norwegian  missionary,  pays  fre- 
quent visits  to  Methil,  and  conducts  services  in  the  Bethel 
in  Dock  Street  among  sailors  hailing  from  "  The  Land  of 
the  Midnight  Sun." 

Some  Industries. 

The  Methil  Engineering  Company,  Limited,  was 
formed  in  the  beginning  of  1900,  and  in  May  of  that  year 
they  commenced  operations  in  the  spacious  works  which 
run  along  High  Street  and  Wemyss  Place.  The  Company 
employ  from  15  to  20  hands,  and  make  a  specialty  of 
steam  winches  and  ship  repairing.  Mr  Chas.  A.  Jackson 
is  the  general  manager  of  the  concern.  Messrs  Buchan  & 
Duncan,  engineers  and  shipwrights,  first  commenced  work 
in  the  saltworks  to  the  west  of  the  dock.  The  works  they 
now  occupy  overlook  the  dock,  and  were  built  in  1902. 
Mr  Donald  Rose's  steam  joinery  is  one  of  the  best 
appointed  works  in  the  country.  House  building  is  the 
trade  he  has  concentrated  his  energies  upon  since  he  com- 
menced business  in  1891. 


METHILHILL. 

The  village  of  Methilhill  is  situated  on  the  top  of  the 
hill  beyond  the  town  of  Methil,  and  it  was  undoubtedly 
the  situation  which  crave  rise  to  the  name.  Writing  in 


164  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

1677,  Earl  David  of  Wemyss  writes  of  the  hamlet  which 
then  rested  ou  the  "  Hill  of  Methille,"  where  the  "  Mhynd 
was  wrought  costing  10,000  lib."  The  present  pit  at 
Methilhill  dates  back  to  1869,  when  it  was  in  the  hands  of 
Mr  Binney,  with  the  late  Mr  J.  W.  Kirkby  as  manager. 
In  1878  the  Pirnie  field  was  taken  over  by  the  Fife  Coal 
Company.  Since  the  opening  of  the  pit,  parrot  coal  has 
been  the  principal  mineral  gotten,  but  now  the  Bowhouse 
seam  is  being  worked.  Parrot  coal  was  worked  at  Methil- 
hill long  before  1868,  and  some  of  the  houses  date  back 
for  centuries.  It  was  one  of  the  older  houses  which  Mr 
Charles  Carlow,  the  managing  director  of  the  Fife  Coal 
Co.,  in  1902  transformed  into  an  Institute  as  a  memorial 
of  his  late  father  and  mother,  who  were  natives  of  the 
parish  of  Wemyss.  Reading  and  recreation  rooms  are 
provided  in  the  building. 


KIRKLAND  VILLAGE. 

The  village  of  Kirklancl  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
Leven,  about  a  mile  to  the  north  of  Methil.  There  is  no 
village  in  the  neighbourhood  which  has  seen  more  industrial 
changes.  In  the  sixteenth,  the  seventeenth,  and  the 
closing  days  of  the  eighteenth  centuries,  the  rattle  of  the 
pit  machinery  common  to  early  times  provided  an  accom- 
paniment to  the  noise  which  came  from  the  rush  of  the 
River  Leven ;  as  time  went  on  the  pits  were  stopped,  and 
instead  of  mining,  the  staple  industry  of  the  village  became 
that  of  linen  manufacturing,  flax  spinning,  and  bleaching. 
Time  came  when  the  rattle  of  the  power-loom  became  as 
silent  as  the  hand-loom,  spinning  and  bleaching  ceased,  and 


THE    PARISH    OP    VVEMYSS.  165 

the  residents  of  the  "New  Toun"  as  well  as  the  "Auld 
Toun  "  were  forced  to  look  mournfully  on  the  past,  and  to 
sigh  for  another  change  in  the  industrial  kaleidoscope. 

Just  at  the  time  when  it  appeared  as  if  the  "New 
Toun  "  was  to  be  surrounded  by  depressing  and  decaying 
buildings,  the  Cyanide  Company  appeared  upon  the  scene, 
and  one  of  the  finest  works  for  the  manufacture  of  cyanide 
in  the  country  was  built  in  the  nineties. 

Early  Coal  Workings. 

In  the  inventory  of  the  title-deeds  of  the  Family  of 
Wemyss  there  is  a  charter,  dated  2nd  November  1542,  by 
David,  Archbishop  of  St  Andrews,  in  favour  of  David 
Wemyss  of  Wemyss,  in  which  reference  is  made  to  the  corn 
and  wauk  mills  of  Methil.  Another  charter  by  George, 
Archbishop  of  St  Andrews,  dated  7th  November  1611, 
specifies  not  only  the  corn  and  the  wauk  mills  of  Methil, 
but  the  coals  and  coal-heughs  of  the  Kirklands  of  Methil. 
These  charters  prove  the  existence  of  corn  and  other  mills 
as  far  back  as  1542,  and  the  existence  of  coal  workings  in 
1611.  The  upper  seam  of  coal  is  at  least  20  fathoms  be- 
low the  surface  and  the  water  level  at  Kirkland.  This 
precludes  the  idea  of  coal-getting  by  the  day-level  system, 
and  drives  one  to  the  conclusion  that  as  far  back  as  the 
days  of  Sir  John  Wemyss  of  Wemyss  coal  must  have  been 
gotten  by  machinery  on  the  banks  of  the  Leven.  In  1612, 
when  it  seemed  as  if  the  days  of  the  coalfields  of  Scotland 
were  numbered,  because  of  the  absence  of  a  system  of  drain- 
age, Sir  George  Bruce,  the  captain  of  Culross  industries, 
hit  upon  the  idea  of  draining  Culross  mines  by  pumps 
worked  upon  the  chain  and  bucket  system  or  the  Egyptian 
wheel. 


166 


RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


The  Wemyss  Family  seem  to  have  adopted  the  same 
system  at  Kirkland.  The  "Happy  Mine"  which  Earl 
David  of  Wemyss  ran  from  Denbeath  to  a  point  near 
Kirkland,  and  in  which  he  had  discovered  seven  seams  of 
coal,  by  1671  got  completely  beyond  the  water  level  and 
had  to  be  stopped.  At  Kirkland  the  pit  workers  of  the 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries  must  have  been  in- 
dependent of  the  water  levels  through  which  the  mines 


Chain  and  Buckets. 

were  drained  into  the  sea  or  the  burns  In  the  year  1700, 
David  third  Earl  of  Wemyss,  then  Lord  Elcho,  handed 
over  the  coal  workings  of  Kirkland  to  Dr  Andrew 
Mellville.  who  offered  to  effect  great  improvements.  In 
1705  Lord  Elcho  resumed  the  management  of  the  mines, 
Dr  Mellville  retiring  on  a  pension  and  the  "  use  of  the  new 
house  built  at  Kirkland."  The  old  crow-stepped  house  still 
stands  in  the  village. 

In  the  evidence  led  in  a  Court  of  Session  action  raised 
by  the  Laird  of  Durie  in  1790  against  the  Laird  of  W«myss, 


THE    PARISH    OF   WEMYSS.  167 

in  connection  with  a  Leven  Water  dispute,  we  have  some 
glimpses  at  the  Kirkland  pits  of  far  off  days.  Hundreds 
of  years  ago  the  Kirkland  dam-dyke  was  erected  on  the 
Leven  and  ground  was  flooded  to  the  extent  of  two  and  a 
half  acres.  From  this  dam  water  was  for  more  than  150 
years  drawn  for  working  the  pumping  engines  through 
which  the  Kirkland  pits  were  kept  free  of  water.  Two 
engines  were,  according  to  a  witness  in  the  Court  of 
Session,  worked  by  the  Leven  water  from  the  dam  in  1723, 
acting  on  the  chain  and  bucket  system.  One  of  the  chain 
and  bucket-engines  was  displaced  by  a  pump-engine  in  1730, 
and  the  wooden  pumps  introduced  proved  such  a  success 
that  a  second  pump-engine  was  erected  in  the  days  of 
William  of  Wemyss.  The  wheel  for  the  bucket  engines 
was  about  forty  feet  in  diameter,  while  that  for  the  first 
pump-engine  was  twenty-eight  feet.  For  over  a  year  coals 
were  raised  from  one  of  the  pits  by  water  power ;  but  the 
horse-gin  system  seems  to  have  been  more  satisfactory,  and 
the  water-power  winding  engine  was  abandoned  and  the 
gin  again  introduced.  One  of  the  witnesses  in  the  action 
thus  describes  the  pits  and  machinery : — 

"  The  new  engine  pit  was  62  fathoms  deep,  and  the  pumps  dis- 
charged their  water  about  seven  fathoms  below  the  pit  mouth.  The 
engine  wrought  four  sets  of  pumps,  two  upon  each  beam.  The 
pumps  consisted  of  two  bottom  pumps,  a  middle  pump,  and  an 
upper  pump.  One  of  the  bottom  pumps  discharged  its  water  into  a 
stone  mine  about  nineteen  fathoms  from  the  bottom  of  the  pit, 
which  mine  had  a  communication  with  the  old  engine  pit,  and  the 
water  run  into  the  mine  was  raised  by  the  two  sets  of  pumps, 
wrought  by  the  old  engine.  The  working-barrels  of  the  two  bottom 
sets  of  pumps  in  the  new  engine-pit  were  ten  inches  in  diameter, 
and  the  middle  and  top  sets  were  nine  and  a  half  inches.  The  new 
engine  went  six  strokes  a  minute." 

From   statements  made  by  some  of  the  other  witnesses 
it  appears  that  during  the  summer  months  the  management 


168  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

were  sometimes  put  to  great  inconvenience  for  want  of 
water.  The  managers  had  to  fall  back  upon  the  expedient 
of  heightening  the  damhead  by  erecting  boards  ;  and  in 
times  of  extreme  drought  the  operatives  at  the  pits  and  at 
the  different  mills  on  the  river  journeyed  all  the  way  to 
Loch  Leven  and  cast  trenches  to  bring  down  a  rush  of  water 
from  the  loch.  The  lower  workings  of  the  pit  ultimately 
became  flooded  with  water,  and  the  operatives  took  to  the 
upper  seams.  The  result  of  the  change  was  that  the  most 
powerful  of  the  two  engines  kept  the  colliery  free  of  water. 
In  1785,  however,  the  water-engine  suddenly  gave  way. 
One  of  the  supports  of  the  great  wheel  snapped,  and  the 
huge  piece  of  machinery  was  thrown  out  of  its  place. 
While  the  laird  of  Wemyss  was  considering  the  advisa- 
bility of  repairing  the  engine  or  introducing  a  "  fire  engine," 
Messrs  Neilson,  Greenhill  &  Company  appeared  upon  the 
scene  and  proposed  to  erect  a  great  spinning  mill.  As  the 
spinners  required  the  whole  of  the  water,  the  Laird  of 
Wemyss  abandoned  the  idea  of  reconstructing  his  colliery 
machinery,  and  colliery  operations  ceased.  Recently,  as 
the  works  of  the  Fife  Coal  Company  approached  Kirk- 
land,  the  water  was  drained  from  the  old  workings.  To- 
day the  Leven  colliery  miners  may  have  a  peep  any  day 
at  the  old  workings  which  received  their  motive  power 
from  the  river  Leven. 

Spinning  and  Linen  Hanufacture. 

Messrs  Neilson,  Greenhill  &  Company  built  a  large 
spinning  work  and  utilised  the  river  Leven  for  motive 
power.  Having  established  a  great  spinning  business  in 
linen  and  cotton  yarns,  they  turned  their  attention  to  the 
manufacture  of  linen,  and  fitted  up  hand-looms  in  the 
building  which  to  this  day  stands  on  the  southern  banks  of 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  169 

the  river,  and  commenced  the  manufacture  of  sail-cloth. 
The  firm  did  not  stop  at  sail-cloth.  Accepting  Dunferm- 
line  as  a  model,  the  enterprising  manufacturers  of  Kirk- 
land  imitated  the  city,  and  commenced  the  manufacture  of 
damask.  In  1794  about  300  hands  were  employed  about 
the  works,  and  the  Company  then  imported  flax  direct 
from  Russia  to  the  harbour  of  Methil.  A  considerable 
extension  was  carried  through  in  1809,  and  in  January 
1810  the  works  were  lit  up  with  gas.  This  was  the  first 
introduction  of  gas  into  any  spinning  mill  in  Scotland. 
Rankine,  the  Leven  poet  of  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  writing  in  1812  says: — 

"  Nor  can  the  philanthropic  muse 

Pass  Kirkland  heedless  by, 
Where  elegance  combines  with  use 

T"  arrest  the  traveller's  eye. 
Within  the  spacious,  lofty  dome, 

Where  wheels  unnumbered  play, 
The  brilliant  gas  dispels  the  gloom, 

And  night  surpasses  day." 

Although  the  firm's  name  of  Neilson  &  Coy.  was  kept 
up  until  after  1836,  the  works  at  a  comparatively  early 
stage — indeed  about  1800 — were  acquired  by  Mr  James 
Peter,  who  was  ultimately  joined  by  his  brother  John,  and 
in  the  hands  of  the  Peter  family  they  remained  for  nearly 
a  century.  Messrs  James  and  John  Peter  were  succeeded 
by  Messrs  H.  T.  and  Thomas  Peter — gentlemen  who  have 
left  on  record  many  pleasant  memories,  and  the  latter  of 
whom  wrote  a  charming  little  work  which  bears  the  title 
of  "  Golfing  Reminiscences  by  an  Old  Hand."  How  much 
the  works  progressed  during  the  first  half  of  the  century 
will  be  apparent  when  it  is  stated  that  in  1836  there  were 
109  persons  engaged  in  flax-dressing,  283  employed  at  the 
spinning  mill,  48  in  the  bleaching  department,  and  241  at 


170  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

cloth  manufacturing — 681  in  all.  The  works  were  then 
consuming  annually  1000  tons  of  flax  and  hemp,  and  the 
yearly  wages  amounted  to  ,£17,000.  In  addition  to  the 
works  at  Kirkland,  the  firm  had  looms  employed  in  the 
manufacture  of  sail  cloth  and  damask  in  every  village  in 
the  district.  The  Rev.  John  M'Lauchlan  gives  us  the 
following  glimpse  at  the  Kirkland  of  1836  : — 

"  The  work  is  a  model  one.  As  far  as  the  health  and  morals  of 
the  people  are  concerned,  it  is  conducted  in  the  best  possible 
manner.  It  is  not  only  the  wish  of  the  proprietors  that  the  work- 
people's children  should  be  properly  educated,  but  they  are  really 
and  truly  so  in  all  the  common  branches  ;  and  particular  attention 
is  also  paid  to  their  instruction  in  the  great  principles  of 
Christianity  by  a  well-qualified  and  efficient  teacher.  Fewer 
applications  have  come  for  parochial  relief  from  the  people 
employed  at  this  work  than  from  any  other  quarter  of  the  parish." 

The  transition  period,  from  1848  to  1856,  from  the 
hand  loom  to  the  power  loom,  was  got  over  wonderfully 
well.  The  hand  loom  gave  place  to  the  power  loom  on  the 
banks  of  the  Leven  in  1857,  and  during  the  sixties,  when 
starching  warps  were  being  turned  out  for  Kirkcaldy 
Linoleum  Works,  and  other  departments  were  in  full 
operation,  as  many  as  800  hands  must  have  been  in 
employment  at  Kirkland.  The  foreign  competition  of  the 
eighties,  which  sent  many  spinning  works  in  Fife  and 
other  counties  in  Scotland  to  the  wall,  was  severely  felt  at 
Kirkland,  and  in  the  closing  days  of  the  eighties  work 
was,  to  the  deep  regret  of  many  people,  suspended.  The 
huge  water  wheels  were  stopped,  the  spinning  machinery 
became  silent,  the  looms  on  which  millions  of  yards  of 
sailcloth  had  been  manufactured  ceased  to  click,  and  the 
great  chimney  stalks  and  huge  buildings  soon  stood  cold 
and  deserted,  a  monument  of  the  industry  which  had  gone 


AROUND    THE    PARISH.  171 

from  Kirkland  for  ever.  Houses  in  the  "  Auld  "  and  the 
"  New  Touns  "  became  tenantless,  and  Kirkland  presented 
a  depressing  sight.  Such  was  the  condition  of  things 
in  1896  when 

The  Scottish  Cyanide  Company,  Limited, 

started  operations.  The  Company  was  formed  with 
a  capital  of  ,£200,000  for  the  purpose  of  making  cyanide 
of  sodium  for  extracting  gold  from  the  ore.  The  great 
water  wheels  of  old,  the  chimney  stalk,  and  many  huge 
buildings  were  soon  cleared  away,  and  within  three  years 
one  of  the  finest  appointed  works  in  the  world  had  been 
erected  on  the  site  of  the  old  spinning  mill  and  bleaching 
works.  The  whole  of  the  machinery  is  driven  by  turbines 
of  260  horse  power,  drawn  from  the  river  Leven.  In 
addition  to  these,  there  is  an  electrical  installation  of  ten 
large  boilers,  and  four  triple-expansion  Willans  engines,  of 
nearly  1000  horse  power  each,  and  this  power  is  utilised 
for  heating  the  electric  furnaces  for  producing  cyanide. 
South  Africa  is  one  of  the  great  markets  for  cyanide,  and 
just  before  the  Boer  War  broke  out  in  1899  the  manu- 
factured article  was  selling  at  Is  2|d  per  Ib.  Unfor- 
tunately the  process  of  manufacture  had  not  been  per- 
fected at  Kirkland  when  the  boom  at  high  rates  was  on. 
During  the  war  exports  of  cyanide  were  practically 
stopped,  and  the  market  became  glutted,  with  the  result 
that  the  price  fell  from  Is  2|d  per  Ib.  to  6|d.  Stocks 
were  so  large  that  for  about  three  years  the  price 
remained  at  this  abnormally  low  rate,  and  the  works  at 
Kirkland  were  ultimately  shut  down.  Time  has  not  been 
allowed  to  pass  in  vain,  however.  The  process  of  making 
has  been  perfected,  the  producing  plant  has  been  added  to, 
and  the  Scottish  Cyanide  Company  are  in  a  position  to 


172  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

turn  out  more  cyanide  than  any  other  work  in  Scotland, 
with  the  exception  of  one,  and  the  quality  is  of  the  finest. 
Reports  from  all  parts  of  the  country  show  that  the  'trade 
is  reviving  from  the  war  glut.  In  addition  to  the  ori- 
ginal capital  of  £200,000,  debenture  stock  of  £50,000  was 
further  spent  on  the  undertaking.  The  Company  went  into 
liquidation  in  September  1905,  and  a  new  company  was 
formed,  with  a  capital  of  £50,000.  The  directors  are  : — 
Messrs  W.  Sanderson,  C.  King,  G.  Readman,  C.  Carlow, 
A.  D.  Mackenzie,  J.  B.  Readman,  and  Dr  Dawson  Turner. 
Mr  R.  Bryce  Lawrie  is  the  secretary  and  manager,  and  Mr 
Sparshott,  electrical  engineer. 


THE   TOWN   OF    BUCKHAVEN. 

Trade  brings  wonderful  changes,  and  in  no  part  of  the 
parish  of  Wemyss  have  the  changes  during  the  past  forty 
years  been  greater  than  in  the  town  of  Buckhaven. 
Forty-five  years  ago  the  population  of  the  town  was  1950 
souls ;  to-day  it  is  5000.  It  is  quite  forty  years  since  the 
writer  passed  along  the  East  and  the  West  "  Toun."  It 
happened  to  be  a  fete  day.  As  the  visitors  passed  into 
the  narrow  streets  more  than  one  of  the  residents  declared 
that  "  A'  the  world's  in  oor  toun  the  day."  Then,  even 
on  a  holiday,  sculls,  partan  creels,  coils  of  baited  lines,  and 
white-lettered  bladders  were  met  with  at  every  turn  in  the 
narrow  lanes  and  at  the  foot  of  the  outside  stairs  of  the 
streets,  and  when  two  names  were  mentioned  the  surnames 
of  the  village  were  practically  exhausted.  Identification 
had  often  to  be  helped  by  the  adoption  of  a  wife's 
Christian  name  or  the  name  of  the  skipper's  boat. 

In  the  old-world  days,  perhaps  a  century  ago,  the 
name  adopted  was  not  enough  in  some  instances,  and  nick- 
names were  had  recourse  to.  And  if  a  well-known  legend 
is  to  be  accepted  as  anything  near  the  truth,  the  "  tee  "  or 
"  slug "  names  had  often  to  be  used  with  caution.  The 
legend  tells  us  that  on  a  stormy  night  two  men  met  on  the 
historic  Braehead.  "  Windy,  Willie,"  said  one.  "  Ter- 
rible, Tammy,"  said  the  other.  The  weather  greeting 
happened  to  be  the  nicknames  of  the  men,  and,  according 


174 


RAMBLES     IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 


to  the  legend,  they  fell  on  each  other  and  fought  out  as 
tough  a  battle  as  if  they  had  been  struggling  with  the 
wind  and  tide  at  the  entrance  to  Buckhaven  harbour. 

When  "  Tammy  "  and  "  Willie  "  fought  on  the  Brae- 
head,  fishing  was  the  staple  industry  of  the  village. 
"  Half  dealsmen  "  only  now  and  again  came  from  the  pits 
of  Wemyss  and  Durie  and  joined  the  old  salts  for  a  brief 


J.  Patrick] 


West  Shore  Street,  Buckhaven. 


[Edinburgh 


season  in  the  "herring  draive,"  or  at  the  deep  sea  lines. 
Now  the  process  is  reversed.  Only  a  handful  of  the 
villagers  hoist  the  dark  brown  sails  at  intervals,  and  some 
of  the  younger  men  fill  in  time  in  and  about  the  pits. 
"  Coal,  coal,  coal  ! "  is  the  cry,  and  coal  has  raised  Buck- 
haven  from  a  fishing  village  to  a  place  which  is  the  centre 
of  municipal  life  for  the  three  towns  which  form  the  Burgh 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  175 

of  Buckhaven.  Happily  in  the  transformation  scene 
which  has  been  evolved  during  the  past  thirty  years,  the 
streets  which  formed  the  old  fishing  village  are  preserved. 
The  old  red-roofed  houses  still  cling  to  the  rocks,  which 
rise  boldly  from  the  waters'  edge,  like  limpets. 

The  "Buckhyne"  of  old  is  a  village  apart,  and  as  one 
looks  on  the  few  old  women  who  may  now  be  seen  shelling 
mussels,  baiting  lines,  or  mending  nets,  he  may  at  least  form 
an  idea  of  the  spectacle  the  streets  and  lanes  presented 
when  the  entire  residents  of  the  old  houses  lived  by  the 
fishing  industry. 

The  Original  Inhabitants. 

The  Rev.  Dr  Harry  Spens,  who  was  minister  of  the 
parish  of  Wemyss  from  1744  to  1761,  writing  in  1778 
says  : — 

"  As  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn,  the  original  inhabitants  of 
Buckhaven  were  from  the  Netherlands  about  the  time  of  Philip  II. 
Their  vessel  had  been  stranded  on  the  shore.  They  proposed  to 
settle  and  remain.  The  family  of  Wemyss  gave  them  permission. 
They  accordingly  settled.  By  degrees  they  acquired  our  language 
and  adopted  our  dress,  and  for  these  three  score  years  past  they 
have  had  the  character  of  a  sober  and  sensible,  an  industrious  and 
honest  set  of  people.  The  only  singularity  in  their  ancient  customs 
that  I  remember  to  have  heard  of  was  that  of  a  richly  ornamented 
girdle  or  belt,  worn  by  their  brides  of  good  condition  and  character 
at  their  marriage,  and  then  laid  aside  and  given  in  like  manner  to 
the  next  bride  that  should  be  deemed  worthy  of  such  an  honour. 
The  village  consists  at  present  of  about  140  families,  60  of  whom 
are  fishers,  and  the  rest  land  laboiirers,  weavers  and  other 
mechanics. 

Philip  II.  of  Spain  reigned  from  1527  to  1599,  so  that 
if  the  tradition  on  which  Dr  Spens  founded  his  statement 
is  correct,  the  "  original  inhabitants "  first  arrived  in  the 
"Hyne"  of  Buckhaven  when  James  IV.  was  King  of 


176  RAMBLES     IN    SCOON1B    AND    WEMYSS. 

Scotland,  and  in  the  days  of  Sir  John  Wemyss  of  that  ilk 
or  David,  first  Earl  of  Wemyss. 

The  Origin  of  the  Name. 

Shelving  rocks  stretch  out  from  the  town  into  the 
depths  of  the  Forth,  and  when  the  tide  ebbs  or  flows  there 
is  a  constant  commotion  and  the  sound  of  waves.  In  a 
storm  the  noise,  as  the  waves  lash  over  the  skerries,  is 
great,  and  it  is  probably  from  the  roar  of  the  sea  that 
Buckhaven  gets  its  name.  BUG  or  beuc  in  Gaelic  means  to 
yell  or  to  roar,  and  if  we  drop  the  v  in  Buckhaven  we 
get  Buckha'en,  and  naturally  stumble  into  the  local  pro- 
nunciation Buckhyne.  Certain  it  is  that  from  time 
immemorial  the  people  have  spoken  of  the  East  and  the 
West  Hyne,  and  the  name  has  been  reminiscent  of  the 
sound  of  the  surge  which  drove  the  Netherlands  crew  on 
to  the  rocks  which  lie  in  the  "  Hyne." 

A  Sixteenth  Century  Incident. 

The  first  authentic  notice  of  Buckhaven  is  to  be  found 
in  the  "Wemyss  Memorials,"  under  date  1516.  In  this 
year  a  dispute  arose  between  the  Laird  of  Wemyss  and  Sir 
John  Dingwall,  vicar  of  the  parish  of  Wemyss,  respecting 
the  teinds  belonging  to  Sir  John.  Besides  the  Laird,  the 
fishermen  of  Easter  Wemyss  and  Buckhaven  were  parties 
to  the  action.  While  the  action  was  going  on,  the  vicar 
appealed  to  the  Court  of  Rome,  a  course  of  procedure 
which  was  opposed  to  the  policy  of  the  Scottish  Kings  of 
the  time  and  the  patriotic  clergy.  The  vicar  was  punished 
for  his  conduct,  the  sentence  of  a  heavy  fine  and  a  severe 
rebuke  being  announced  at  high  mass  in  Wemyss  Church. 
The  difficulty  about  the  teinds  was  ultimately  got  over  by 
the  parties  agreeing  upon  a  compromise  and  passing  in  to 
church  "in  oxtors"  (arm-in-arm). 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMY8S.  177 

In  1667. 

During  the  war  between  England  and  Holland,  in 
1667,  David  second  Earl  of  Wemyss  and  another  peer  of 
the  realm,  had  some  special  authority  in  the  County  of 
Fife.  Their  lordships  were  written  to  by  Archbishop 
Sharp  and  asked  to  look  to  the  condition  of  the  coast 
towns  on  the  Forth.  The  Earl  of  Wemyss  was  the  means 
by  his  vigilance  of  saving  some  of  the  King's  ships.  Here 
is  the  story,  as  told  in  the  Earl's  diary  : — 

"  On  the  last  day  of  April  1667,  the  Hollands  fleete  inveadded 
Scotland,  and  cam  up  that  day  to  Bruneiland,  with  30  good  ships, 
sum  of  60,  sum  of  50  gunes  a  peisse,  besides  10  littile  ones.  They 
did  offer  to  land  to  have  burnt  all  the  ships  in  Bruneiland,  but  was 
beatten  back,  and  they  shotte  above  1000  gritte  shott  att  itt,  sum 
of  24  bolle,  and  did  not  kill  man,  wife  or  child  ;  shotte  att  noe 
other  toune  or  pleasse  ;  killed  one  man  in  a  botte  off  Buickheauin 
that  day,  the  botte  being  at  fishing,  and  they  would  not  cum 
aboard  of  them,  so  they  shotte  att  the  botte,  and  killed  one 
Alexander  Christie  ther.  The  botte  gott  off,  and  we  bourried  the 
man  at  Wemyss  cairfully  that  day. — May  1667." 

This  incident  shows  that  the  men  of  Buckhaven  in 
1667  were  men  of  pluck.  They  had  been  pursuing  their 
calling  peacefully  off  Buckhaven  when  the  Dutch  fleet 
hove  in  sight.  The  fishermen  refused  to  go  aboard  the 
war  vessels,  and  they  were  fired  upon.  The  crew  do  not 
seem  to  have  become  panic-stricken  by  the  fact  that  one  of 
the  balls  took  effect  and  killed  one  man.  Amidst  the 
shouts  and  the  shots  of  the  Dutch  bullies  the  fishermen 
rowed  pluckily  for  the  harbour,  and  in  the  quaint  language 
of  the  Earl  "  the  botte  gott  off." 

De  Foe's  Glimpses. 

For  many  years  the  people  of  Buckhaven  were  a  com- 
munity to  themselves.  They  married  when  comparatively 
young,  and  they  invariably  wedded  fishermen's  daughters 


178  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

of  the  same  village.  The  fishermen  were  a  most  in- 
dustrious class  of  men,  and  many  of  them  owned  the  red- 
roofed  houses  which  stood  on  the  Broken  Brae  and  on  the 
Links,  in  addition  to  their  boats  and  all  the  furnishings 
common  to  the  industry.  Defoe,  the  talented  author  of 
"Robinson  Crusoe,"  visited  the  "Hyne"  about  the  year 
1 700,  and  he  says  : — 

"  Buckhaven  is  inhabited  by  fishermen,  who  are  employed 
wholly  in  catching  fresh  fish  every  day  in  the  Firth,  and  carrying 
them  to  Leith  and  Edinburgh  markets.  The  buildings  are  but  a 
miserable  row  of  cottages,  yet  there  is  scarce  a  poor  man  in  it ;  but 
they  are  in  general  so  very  clownish  that  to  be  of  the  village  of 
Buckhaven  is  become  a  proverb." 

Defoe,  like  the  cynic  who  wrote  the  vulgar  pamphlet 
which  takes  the  title  of  "The  History  of  Buckhaven: 
comprising  the  Sayings  of  Wise  Willie  and  Witty  Eppie, 
and  an  Account  of  the  College,"  must  have  been  snubbed 
by  a  "  Bucker"  fishwife  while  higgling  over  the  purchase 
of  some  fresh  herrings.  Dr  Robert  Chambers,  who  lived 
in  the  days  when  the  so-called  History  was  being  circu- 
lated among  the  chap-books  of  the  country,  was  at  special 
pains  to  get  facts  bearing  on  the  people  who  had  been 
lampooned  and  maligned,  and  writing  in  1828  he  says:  — 

"  To  do  them  justice,  it  must  be  declared  that  the  people  on  in- 
spection appear  precisely  the  same  industrious,  simple,  primitive 
race  with  the  rest  of  the  piscatory  inhabitants  of  Fife." 

The  minister  of  the  parish  of  1821  is  as  emphatic  in 
his  contradiction  of  Defoe  as  the  minister  of  the  eighteenth 
century  and  Dr  Chambers  were.  Mr  M'Lachlan  says  : 

"  There  are  170  men  connected  with  the  fishing  station  at 
Buckhaven.  They  have  no  fewer  than  144  boats  of  various 
dimensions.  ...  It  may  well  be  said  that  they  are  a  most 
industrious  class  of  men,  and  are  truly  entitled,  not  only  to  pro- 
tection, but  to  every  countenance  and  encouragement." 


THK    PAKISH    OP    WEMYSS.  179 

In  an  old  song  we  have  yet  another  view  of  the  people 
of  Buckhaven  which  is  very  different  from  that  of  Defoe  : — 

"  The  canty  carls  of  Dysart, 
The  merry  lads  of  Buckhaven, 
The  saucy  limmers  of  Largo, 
The  bonny  lasses  of  Leven ." 

The  "College"  referred  to  in  the  "History "is  a 
building  which  to  this  day  stands  at  the  foot  of  the  brae 
at  the  east  end  of  the  town.  A  whale's  jawbones  grace 
the  entrance  to  the  historic  building.  It  may  be  interest- 
ing to  state  that  it  is  more  than  a  century  since  the 
building  was  occupied  as  a  school.  About  the  year  1800 
it  fell  into  the  hands  of  a  sailor,  who,  says  Taylor,  engaged 
in  smuggling.  The  smuggled  goods  were  concealed  on  the 
premises,  and  drunken  brawls  often  took  place.  In  a 
brawl  the  sailor's  wife  met  her  death,  and  her  ghost 
haunted  the  place. 

The  vulgar  "  Sayings "  of  Willie  and  Eppie  have 
long  since  ceased  to  linger  about  the  "  Hyne,"  and  it  is 
more  than  fifty  years  since  the  people  ceased  to  persuade 
themselves  into  the  idea  that  the  ghost  of  the  wife  of  the 
smuggling  sailor  lingered  nightly  about  the  whale's  jawbones. 

The  Fishing  Industry  from  1750  to  1905. 

It  appears  that  before  1750,  long  before  the  steam 
trawler  was  thought  of,  haddocks  began  to  get  scarce  in 
Largo  Bay,  and  Mr  Gibb,  the  minister  of  the  parish,  tells 
us  that  the  fishermen  had  in  consequence  been  reduced. 
"  Formerly,"  he  says,  "  there  were  in  Easter  Wemyss,  five 
boats,  with  five  men  each,  and  one  in  Wester  Wemyss, 
with  five  men,  and  now  there  is  only  one  boat  in  Easter 
Wemyss,  and  the  crew  consists  of  old  men."  Despite  the 
scarcity  of  haddocks  and  the  decay  of  the  industry  at  East 


180  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE   AND    WEMYSS. 

Wemyss,  the  fishermen  of  Buckhaven  stuck  to  their  boats 
and  their  lines,  and  Mr  Gibb  says  that  in  the  village 
"  there  is  little  alteration  in  the  number  of  fishermen,  and 
though  fish  are  much  scarcer  than  formerly,  yet  the  fisher- 
men are  in  some  measure  compensated  by  the  high  prices." 
Away  back  in  1750  as  many  as  25,000  haddocks  were 
sometimes  caught  in  one  day  by  the  "  merry  lads "  of 
Buckhaven.  At  that  time  the  East  Neuk  burghs  had  a 
complete  monopoly  of  the  Edinburgh  market,  and  big  as 
the  catches  were  by  the  Buckhaven  crews,  the  bulk  of  the 
fish  were  sold  in  the  "  Kingdom  "  of  Fife. 

As  the  boats  arrived,  the  pier  was  crowded  with  men 
arid  horses.  The  fish  were  transferred  from  the  boats  to 
the  creels,  a  couple  of  creels  were  slung  over  the  horses' 
backs,  and  far  and  near  the  fish  were  hawked.  The  creels, 
Mr  Gibb  tells  us,  ultimately  gave  place  to  "neat  carts," 
and  this  was  the  beginning  of  the  "  cadger "  as  he  is 
known  to-day.  In  the  closing  decade  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  when  the  fish  seemed  annually  to  be  getting 
scarcer  in  Largo  Bay,  the  hopes  of  the  Buckhaven  fisher- 
men were  raised  by  the  appearance  of  herring  in  Inver- 
keithing  Bay.  The  harvest  gotten  under  the  shadow  of 
the  Ferry  hills  and  Inch  Garvie  was  disappointing  in  the 
extreme,  and  the  fishermen  of  Buckhaven  had  very  soon  to 
begin  to  look  further  afield  for  fish.  By  the  close  of  the 
eighteenth  century  it  became  apparent  to  the  fishermen 
that  if  they  meant  to  exist  as  a  community  they  must 
journey  outwith  the  May  Island.  They  began  to  make 
journeys  to  Helmsdale,  Fraserburgh,  and  Wick,  and  so 
successful  were  they  in  the  departure  that  Mr  M'Lauchlan, 
the  minister  of  the  parish,  writing  in  1837,  tells  us  that 
the  fishing  station  of  Buckhaven  had  greatly  increased  in 


THE    PAKISH    OF    WEMYSS.  181 

recent  years.  At  that  time  there  were  170  men  employed 
in  the  trade,  and  they  owned  as  many  as  144  boats  of 
various  dimensions.  They  set  out  then  in  the  month  of 
July  for  the  great  herring  fishing  stations  in  the  north, 
and  there  they  generally  stayed  for  two  months.  Mr 
M'Lauchlan  gives  the  values  of  boats  and  nets  belonging 

to  Buckhaven  as  follows  : — 

Nets  for 

Boats.    Each  Boat,     each  Boat.         Total. 
First  Class-        60  £75  £110       £11,100    0    0 

Second  „    -        44  40  120  7,040    0    0 

Third     „    -        40  14  20  1,360     0    0 


144  £19,500    0    0 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  value  of  nets  is  greater  for 
the  second  class  boats  than  the  first.  This  is  accounted  for 
by  the  fact  that  three  sets  of  nets  were  required  for  the 
second  class  boats,  while  only  two  sets  were  employed  in 
connection  with  the  first  and  the  third. 

Previous  to  1785,  twelve  boats,  with  six  men  in  each, 
went  in  the  month  of  August  to  the  herring  fishing  off 
Dunbar  ;  but  the  encouragement  by  1790  had  become  so 
poor  that  the  Dunbar  visits  had  been  completely  aban- 
doned. Early  in  the  nineteenth  century  the  Dunbar 
fishings  were  resumed,  however,  and  in  1835  as  many  as 
100  boats  crossed  the  Forth  during  July,  August,  and 
September,  and  engaged  in  the  herring  fishing  with  con- 
siderable profit.  In  the  fifties  and  the  early  sixties  the 
herring  again  fought  shy  of  the  Dunbar  coast.  Once 
more  the  Dunbar  waters  were  abandoned,  and  in  1866  the 
fishermen  hied  themselves  as  far  north  as  Stornoway. 
North  Shields  afterwards  became  a  favourite  station,  and 
for  some  years  as  many  as  100  Buckhaven  boats  unfurled 
their  sails  and  set  out  for  the  south.  In  very  successful 


182  RAMBLES    IN    SCOON1E   AND    WEMYSS. 

years  some  boats  "grossed"  as  much  as  £800  for  the 
season ;  but  hi  recent  years  the  virtue  has  gone  out  of 
even  the  waters  of  South  Shields,  and  the  35  boats  which 
went  south  in  1904  returned  to  the  Hyne  to  report  an 
exceedingly  lean  season.  Happily  1905  showed  con- 
siderable improvement.  Mr  Gibb  tells  us  that  "  the  fish 
usually  caught  in  the  Forth  are  haddocks,  cod,  turbot, 
skate,  whitings,  soles,  flounders,  mackerel,  and  herring." 
Some  crews  are  still  engaged  all  the  year  round  at 
what  is  now  spoken  of  under  the  expressive  term  of 
"the  white  fishing,"  but  the -catches  of  white  fish  are 
not  a  patch  on  the  takings  of  Mr  Gibb's  day.  Less 
than  half  a  century  ago  the  winter  herring  fishing 
commenced  in  November  and  continued  until  the  month 
of  March,  and  as  many  as  50  boats  daily  left  Buckhaven 
harbour  during  the  season.  Now  it  is  the  first  month  of 
the  year  before  the  fishing  commences,  and  it  generally 
closes  by  the  first  week  in  March.  At  the  time  herring 
appeared  in  Inverkeithing  Bay  the  boats  commenced 
operations  for  the  season  further  up  the  river  than  they  do 
at  present,  and  Burntisland  was  a  considerable  market  for 
the  fleet  of  boats.  Cod  and  ling  formed  quite  a  harvest 
sixty  years  ago,  and  the  fish  were  disposed  of  freely  at  5s 
per  score.  To  day,  cod  and  ling  bring  as  much  as  £3  or  £4 
per  score ;  but  big  as  the  price  is,  it  does  not  compensate 
for  the  terrible  scarcity  of  fish.  The  other  fishermen  of 
the  East  Coast  have  the  same  story  to  tell  of  scarcity  of 
fish  as  the  Buckhaven  men.  Along  the  whole  line  the 
change  is  set  down  to  the  action  of  the  trawlers  in  drag- 
ging over  spawning  grounds.  Twenty  years  ago  the 
opposition  to  trawling  became  so  strong  that  the  Govern- 
ment were  compelled  to  interfere,  and  fixed  the  well-known 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  183 

three  mile  limit,  the  demarkation  line  being  fixed  from 
Tantallon  Castle  to  Fife  Ness.  In  1860  an  impetus  was 
given  to  the  trade  by  the  arrival  of  English  buyers.  The 
English  buyers  did  not  linger  long  in  the  district,  and  of  the 
old  fishcurers,  whose  names  are  to  this  day  spoken  of  with 
reverence  in  many  a  household,  Bailie  Kiunear  may  be 
said  to  be  the  only  one  who  is  still  in  the  flesh. 

The  Harbour. 

In  the  eighteenth  century  Buckhaven  harbour  was 
such  a  wretched  apology  for  a  haven  for  boats  that  the 
Rev.  George  Gibb,  writing  in  1790,  does  not  think  it 
worthy  of  mention.  He  says: — "There  are  two  good 
harbours  in  the  parish,  one  at  Methil  and  one  at  Wester 
Wemyss."  In  1835  a  strong  agitation  arose  for  improve- 
ment at  Buckhaven.  The  Fishery  Board  was  approached, 
and  ultimately  a  scheme  was  launched  which  was  estimated 
to  cost  £4200.  Of  this  sum  the  Fishery  Board  agreed  to 
contribute  £3000,  and  the  balance  was  to  be  made  up  by 
the  fishermen.  The  scheme  was  carried  through  in  1837-8. 
A  further  extension  scheme  was  entered  on  in  1850,  and 
two  years  later  it  was  completed  at  a  cost  of  £18,000, 
£6000  of  which  was  subscribed  by  the  fishermen,  and  the 
Fishery  Board  made  up  the  deficiency.  In  July  1905  a 
Bill,  which  was  promoted  by  Mr  Wemyss  of  Wemyss 
Castle  and  others,  was  heard  by  a  Committee  of  the  House 
of  Lords  in  London,  praying  for  powers  for  the  construc- 
tion of  a  dock  at  Buckhaven  at  a  cost  of  £260,000.  After 
hearing  the  evidence  of  the  promoters,  the  Chairman,  the 
Duke  of  Northumberland,  said  the  Committee  found  that 
the  preamble  of  the  Bill  had  not  been  proved,  but  they  had 
been  much  impressed  by  the  evidence  with  regard  to  the 
congestion  of  the  district.  They  did  not  consider  it  had 


184  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE   AND   WEMYSS. 

been  proved  that  no  other  party  could  relieve  the  conges- 
tion except  Mr  Wemyss,  the  promoter,  and  therefore  they 
did  not  at  present  see  sufficient  reasons  for  relieving  him 
from  the  agreements  he  had  entered  into  with  the  North 
British  Railway  Company,  while  there  were  still  hopes  of 
the  necessary  accommodation  being  provided  from  some 
other  source.  The  Bill  was  accordingly  thrown  out.  In 
the  month  of  August  a  meeting  of  coal  masters  and 
shipping  agents  was  held  in  Glasgow,  at  which  a  deputa- 
tion was  appointed  to  wait  on  the  Directors  of  the  North 
British  Railway  Company  and  press  them  to  provide 
additional  accommodation  at  Methil.  The  Committee  met 
the  Directors  on  September  21st.  The  Directors  inti- 
mated that  they  would  consider  the  representations  made 
to  them,  and  there  is  a  prospect  of  a  Bill  providing  for  an 
extension  at  Methil  being  promoted  in  November  1905. 

Muiredge  and  Rosie  Collieries. 

In  1864,  at  the  very  time  the  fishing  industry  showed 
signs  of  decay,  three  men  arrived  at  Dysart  railway 
station  from  the  little  mining  village  of  Crossgates.  The 
young  men  caught  up  a  young  brewer  who  was  driving  a 
horse  and  spring  cart  and  who  had  disposed  of  his  load. 
"  Is  this  the  road  to  Wemyss  Castle  1 "  asked  one  of  the 
men.  "Yes,"  was  the  frank  reply,  "I  pass  the  entrance 
to  the  avonue.  Jump  on,  if  you  care."  The  strangers  did 
not  require  a  second  invitation.  They  leapt  on  to  the  van 
and  were  driven  to  the  avenue  leading  to  Wemyss  Castle. 
The  three  men  were  Archibald  Bowman,  and  James  and 
David  Cairns.  They  were  on  their  way  to  Wemyss  Castle 
to  make  inquiries  about  Muiredge  Colliery,  and  before 
they  had  left  the  Castle  they  had  agreed  to  take  a  lease  of 
the  colliery. 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS. 


185 


At  Muiredge  Colliery  a  shaft  had  been  sunk  by  the 
Wemyss  family  to  the  chemiss  splint,  a  depth  of  80 
fathoms.  It  stood,  however,  in  the  centre  of  a  coal  which 
was  so  much  calcined  that  it  was  practically  useless,  and 
the  subject,  with  its  continual  rush  of  water  down  the 


J*lr  Archibald  Bowman. 


shaft,  cannot  be  said  to  have  been  particularly  inviting. 
Turn  how  the  men  liked,  they  were  face  to  face  with 
burnt  coal,  and  an  old  friend  who  had  had  somt?  experience 
of  mining  did  not  hesitate  to  affirm  that  the  Company 


186  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

would  woo  "  fickle  fortune  "  in  vain,  "  and  would  only  lose 
what  little  they  had."  The  partners  had  a  strong  scent  for 
coal.  They  discovered  the  site  of  Earl  David's  "  Happy 
Mine,"  to  the  east,  and  saw  puffing  pits  and  heard  the 
rattle  of  coals  to  the  west,  and  from  this  they  argued  that 
they  were  bound  ultimately  to  succeed  at  Muiredge.  And 
succeed  they  did.  They  got  through  the  burnt  coal  and 
pierced  the  dyke  to  the  west,  and  struck  a  large  stretch  of 
fine  coal  at  a  point  where  an  authority,  who  was  alleged 
to  read  the  metals  "  like  a  book,"  said  the  coal  had  been 
in  the  air  and  in  the  glacial  period  had  gone  down  the 
Forth.  "  Down  the  Forth,"  forsooth  !  It  was  more  than 
100  fathoms  under  the  surface.  It  has  gone  down  the 
Forth  during  the  past  30  years — not  on  glaciers,  but  in 
boats.  The  little  bits  of  luck  put  the  Company  on  their 
feet  and  gave  them  heart,  and  from  a  fortnightly  wage  bill 
of  £GO  they  soon  rose  to  ,£100,  and,  according  to  an  official 
statement  made  in  1891,  the  wages  paid  every  fortnight 
amounted  to  £4000.  Early  in  the  seventies  the  Company 
appointed  Mr  A.  Bowman  to  the  post  of  general  manager, 
and  from  the  date  of  his  appointment  the  progress  began 
to  be  even  more  marked  than  it  had  previously  been.  In 
the  golden  days  of  1872-3,  the  Company  reaped  a  rich 
harvest  from  the  two  Muiredge  pits.  Mr  Bowman  turned 
the  surplus  cash  to  good  account  by  sinking  the  Denbeath, 
the  Isabella,  and  the  Rosie  pits,  and  raised  the  output  of 
the  Company  from  some  300  tons  to  2000  tons  a  day. 

A  break  was  experienced  in  1879,  when  Mr  James 
Cairns  died,  and  just  before  the  fall  of  the  leaf  in  1882, 
another  loss  was  sustained  by  the  decease  of  Mr  Lawrence 
Bowman.  Mr  David  Cairns  left  Methil  and  took  up  his 
abode  at  Crail,  where  he  was  beyond  the  sound  of  whistling 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS. 


187 


steam  pipes  and  rattling  jiggers.  He  died  in  the  spring  of 
1905.  The  remains  of  the  three  men  who  founded  the 
Company  now  lie  side  by  side  in  the  God's  acre  of  the 
parish  of  Wemyss.  The  three  worked  cordially  together. 
It  is  fitting  that  they  should  find  a  last  resting-place  in 
the  same  sunny  spot,  and  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
old  corbie-stepped  and  red-roofed  houses  where  they  first 
saw  the  light  of  day.  When  they  went  first  to  live  inland 
they  used  often  to  say  that  they  could  not  sleep  for  want 


Patrick] 


[Edinburgh 


Denbeath  Washer. 

of  the  noise  of  the  waters  of  the  Forth.  They  have  been 
laid  to  rest  within  the  shadow  of  Maodutf's  Castle,  and 
within  the  sound  of  the  rippling  waves  which  in  youth 
brought  balm}'-  sleep.  Peace  to  their  ashes  ! 

The  Denbeath,  Isabella,  and  Rosie  pits  of  to-dav 
present  a  striking  contrast  to  the  Muiredge  pit,  where  the 
Company  first  commenced  operations.  But  great  as  the 
contrast  is,  it  is  not  more  striking  than  that  which  is 


188  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

presented  to  the  minds  of  those  who  are  able  to  compare 
the  facilities  for  the  disposal  of  the  coals  with  those  of 
to-day.  For  some  time  after  Muiredge  was  started,  the 
coals  were  conveyed  to  Methil  harbour  in  carts  ;  the  carts 
in  time  gave  place  to  a  horse  waggon  way  by  Denbeath 
Glen,  and  ultimately  the  horses  gave  place  to  a  locomotive. 
In  the  early  days  of  the  Company  all  was  excitement  at 
the  pits  when  a  boat  of  200  tons  came  into  Methil ;  now  it 
takes  a  steamer  of  from  3000  to  5000  tons  to  arouse  just  a 
little  excitement,  and  the  little  excitement  is  confined  to 
colliery  officials  who  are  immediately  responsible  for  the 
dispatch  of  the  colliery  output.  The  changes  experienced 
in  the  district  during  the  past  40  years  have  not  by  any 
means  been  confined  to  the  collieries.  Like  Methil,  the 
old-world  town  of  Buckhaven  has  been  surrounded  by  a 
modern  town,  and  while  in  1861  the  population  was  1965, 
the  population  to-day  is  5000.  Messrs  Bowman  &  Co.'s 
lease  expired  in  August  1905,  and  the  works  were  then 
acquired  by  the  Wemyss  Coal  Coy.,  Ltd. 

Mr  Archibald  Bowman,  the  general  manager  of  Bow- 
man &  Company,  is  a  man  of  restless  energy.  He  is 
Chairman  of  the  Bowhill  Coal  Company,  and  takes  a  great 
interest  in  all  that  concerns  the  welfare  of  that  most 
successful  Company.  He  has  been  appointed  a  Director 
in  the  Wemyss  Coal  Company,  Limited. 

Net  flanufacturing  and  other  Works. 

Sixty  years  ago  the  click  of  the  hand-loom  was  heard 
in  most  of  the  narrow  streets  in  Buckhaven,  and  Mr 
Thomas  Ireland  carried  on  an  extensive  business  as  reed 
maker,  making  reeds  for  not  only  the  workers  of  linen  in 
the  parish  of  Wemyss,  but  for  toilers  at  the  loom  in  the 
entire  county.  In  the  sixties  the  hand-loom  was  gradually 


THE    PARISH    OF   WEMYSS.  189 

silenced  by  the  power-loom,  and  the  reed  industry  of 
Buckhaven  declined  with  the  hand-loom  trade.  Mr  Ire- 
land died  in  1903.  Another  trade  which  has  left  the 
burgh  is  that  of  boatbuilding.  Time  was  when  Mr  J. 
Ireland,  Mr  J.  Kinnear,  Mr  D.  Brown,  and  Mr  M.  Baird 
each  had  a  considerable  number  of  hands  engaged  in  build- 
ing boats  for  the  fishermen  of  the  Forth.  A  launch  has 
not  taken  place  in  the  "  Hyne "  for  many  years,  and  the 
only  links  that  remain  of  the  industry  are  some  old  repair- 
ing works.  Net  manufacturing  has  been  carried  on  at 
Buckhaven  for  many  years.  As  far  back  as  1858  Mr 
John  Ireland,  who  was  a  man  of  great  enterprise,  and  his 
sons,  took  up  net  manufacturing  under  the  firm  name  of 
John  Ireland  &  Sons.  When  they  first  commenced  opera- 
tions, nets  were  made  of  hemp  twine,  but  when  cotton  took 
the  place  of  hemp,  the  Messrs  Ireland  were  not  slow  in 
adapting  themselves  to  the  change,  and  made  an  important 
addition  to  their  works  in  the  shape  of  a  spinning  work. 
For  some  time  they  employed  as  many  as  300  hands. 
When  the  fishing  industry  began  to  decline  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, however,  the  hands  were  gradually  reduced,  and 
the  firm  gave  up  manufacturing  in  1870.  A  destructive 
fire  played  sad  havoc  among  the  spinning  plant  in  1880, 
and  operations  were  not  again  commenced.  Messrs  J.  & 
W.  Stuart,  patent  net  and  twine  manufacturers,  Mussel- 
burgh,  took  over  Messrs  Ireland's  net  manufacturing 
plant  in  1870  and  commenced  operations  in  the  old  works. 
In  1878  they  built  their  present  commodious  premises  and 
had  them  fitted  up  with  machinery  of  the  latest  type. 
There  are  seventy  looms  in  operation,  and  employment  is 
generally  given  to  about  seventy  hands.  Mr  W.  D. 
Matthew  is  in  charge  of  Messrs  Stuart's  Buckhaven 
branch.  Mr  William  Thomson  opened  his  works  in 
M 


190  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

Randolph  Street  in  1870.  Since  the  opening,  important 
additions  have  been  made  to  the  works,  and  the  machinery 
is  thoroughly  up-to-date.  There  are  forty  looms  in  opera- 
tion, and  these  give  employment  to  about  forty  hands.  Mr 
Thomson  has  his  son  associated  with  him  in  business. 
Time  was  when  all  the  wood  used  for  house  building,  &c., 
in  the  parish  of  Wemyss  was  cut  at  the  sawmills  of  Kirk- 
land  or  Leven.  For  many  years  Mr  David  Brown  and  his 
sons  have  had  a  well-appointed  sawmill  in  operation  at 
Buckhaven.  Messrs  Brown  deal  largely  in  our  home- 
grown timber.  They  buy  up  whole  plantations  of  the  best 
of  Scotch  wood  and  have  the  trees  converted  at  Buckhaven 
into  the  heavy  beams  and  other  timbers  which  have  now 
become  so  popular  at  many  of  the  Fife  pits  for  above 
and  below  ground. 

The  Ecclesiastical  History. 

The  Rev.  John  M'Lachlan,  the  minister  of  the  parish 
of  Wemyss  in  the  thirties,  looked  with  a  kindly  eye  on  the 
Dissenters  of  Buckhaven,  and  gave  them  a  certificate  of 
"respectability."  Writing  in  1836,  Mr  M'Lauchlan 


"  There  is  a  Dissenting  meeting-house  in  connection  with  the 
United  Association  Synod,  situated  on  the  Links  of  Buckhaven, 
about  two  miles  from  the  parish  church.  The  clergyman's  stipend 
is  £110  per  annum,  with  manse  and  garden.  The  present  minister 
is  the  Rev.  Robert  Pollock.  The  congregation  is  respectable,  and 
divine  service  is  well  attended." 

The  stipend  paid  to  Mr  Pollock  shows  that  the  Dis- 
senting congregation  of  Buckhaven  were  "  respectable " 
in  more  ways  than  that  suggested  by  Mr  M'Lauchlan. 
They  were  Dissenters,  and  they  were  willing  to  pay  for 
their  Dissent.  The  history  of  Dissent  in  Buckhaven  goes 
back  to  a  more  remote  period  than  1836.  As  far  back  as 


THE    PARISH    OF   WKMYSS.  191 

October  1739,  Mr  John  Thomson,  an  elder  in  the  Estab- 
lished Church  of  Wemyss  parish,  and  several  friends  met 
and  resolved  to  cast  in  their  lot  with  the  Associate  Presby- 
tery. At  first  they  attended  the  Associate  Church  of 
Abbotshall,  Kirkcaldy,  but  on  a  church  being  opened  at 
Kennoway  they  "lifted  their  lines"  at  Abbotshall,  and 
joined  the  Dissenters  in  Kennoway.  Some  difference  of 
opinion  arose  in  1791  in  Kennoway  over  a  call  to  a 
successor  to  the  Rev.  "Wm.  Kidston.  The  members 
resident  in  Buckhaven  and  other  places  in  the  parish  of 
Wemyss  took  advantage  of  the  division  to  plead  for  the 
formation  of  a  separate  congregation  at  Buckhaven. 
The  Presbytery  gave  ear  to  the  appeal  from  Wemyss 
parish,  and  in  1792  a  congregation  was  formed.  A 
delightful  site  on  the  links,  near  the  Denbeath  of  to-day, 
was  granted  by  General  Wemyss  for  a  church,  and  the 
building  was  completed  and  ready  for  public  worship  in 
January  '1795.  The  church  was  built  from  boulders 
gathered  from  the  beach,  and  from  blocks  quarried  from 
the  Braid  Hills  close  by. 

From  the  date  of  formation  in  1792  to  1796  the  con- 
gregation had  no  regular  minister,  and  for  nearly  two 
years  services  were  conducted  in  the  open  air  and  in  a 
barn  in  the  village.  David  Telford,  from  Stirling,  was 
the  first  minister.  He  was  ordained  on  12th  July  1796. 
He  began  with  a  stipend  of  £70  a  year,  and  the  modest 
sum  of  £4  annually  for  house  rent.  Mr  Telford  was  paid  a 
half  year's  stipend  in  advance  on  the  day  of  his  ordination, 
and  ace  rding  to  the  custom  of  the  times,  the  cheque 
included  ,£6  8s  lOd  for  a  suit  of  clothes  and  certain  fur- 
nishings. A  manse  was  built  near  the  church  in  1801, 
and  then  followed  a  wall  round  the  manse.  The  Rev. 


192  RAMBLES   IN   SCOONIE   AND   WEMYSS. 

"Wm.  Dunlop,  the  present  pastor  of  the  congregation,  who 
some  years  ago  made  a  study  of  the  minutes  of  the  church, 
tells  us  that  in  1807  as  many  as  227  sittings  were  let  in 
the  body  of  the  church  and  59  in  the  "pens."  In  1810, 
the  stipend  was  raised  to  .£85  a  year.  The  congregation 
seems  to  have  been  alive  to  the  necessity  of  educating  the 
young,  and  about  1810  a  school  was  opened  near  the 
church.  Henry  Davidson  was  the  first  "bedel,"  and  he 
was  followed  by  John  Anderson  and  James  Martin  (John). 
Stories  of  the  good  work  done  by  these  functionaries  are 
told  in  Buckhaven  to  this  day. 

On  the  4th  May  1824  Mr  Telford  died.  John  Lan- 
dale,  a  member  of  the  congregation,  wrote  the  following 
inscription,  which  appears  on  a  memorial  stone  in  Wemyss 
Churchyard : — 

"  To  wean  mankind  from  sin  and  vice 
And  lead  them  to  a  Saviour's  grace ; 
To  visit,  cherish,  and  console 
The  sick,  the  poor,  the  afflicted  soul, 
Thus  Telford  spent  his  useful  life, 
A  friend  to  peace,  aloof  from  strife  ; 
As  parent,  husband,  neighbour,  friend, 
Indulgent,  loving,  good  and  kind  : 
With  love  to  God  and  man  inspired, 
The  friend  of  both  lies  here  interred." 

On  the  29th  August  1825  it  was  agreed  to  call  Mr 
Peter  M'Dowall,  from  Ivy  Place,  Stranraer.  Mr 
M'Dowall  was  at  the  same  time  under  call  to  Alloa,  and 
he  chose  Alloa.  It  was  May  1826  before  the  congregation 
found  themselves  in  a  position  to  make  another  call. 
This  time  the  choice  fell  on  the  Rev.  Robert  Pollock, 
from  Mauchline.  Mr  Pollock  became  the  second  minister 
of  the  Secession  Church  of  Buckhaven  in  December  1826. 
He  was  certainly  a  man  of  considerable  ability,  and  under  the 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  193 

title  of  "  Apocalyptic  Regeneration  "  he  published  a  study 
of  the  Book  of  Revelation.  He  had  the  honorary  degree 
of  LL.D.  conferred  upon  him.  With  all  his  ability,  he 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  particularly  steadfast  in  the 
Dissenting  faith.  Mr  Dunlop  reminds  us  that  one  of  his 
famous  sayings  was,  "  My  sword  is  now  unsheathed,  never 
to  return  to  the  scabbard  until  the  triumphant  flag  of 
Voluntaryism  is  flying  from  the  last  rampart  of  the 
Establishment."  In  1845  he  hauled  down  the  flag  of 
Voluntaryism,  bade  adieu  to  Buckhaven,  and  became 
minister  of  Kingston  quoad  sacra  Church,  Glasgow.  Mr 
Pollock  was  a  medal  holder  on  Dubbieside  golf  links  in  1837, 
and  according  to  tradition  could  use  his  fists  as  well  as  he 
could  handle  a  golf  cleek.  "  Purse  or  life ! "  was  the 
demand  which  a  local  Dick  Turpin  made  while  Pollock 
passed  the  "  Double  Dykes  "  one  night.  "  Do  you  know 
who  I  am  ?"  asked  the  minister.  "  Yes  ;  you're  Pollock  the 
minister  o'  Buckbyne."  was  the  reply.  Pollock  cast  his 
coat,  ejaculating — "  There  lies  the  minister,  and  here  stands 
Pollock."  And  Pollock  set  to  work  and  gave  the  "  would- 
be-robber"  a  severe  thrashing.  Mr  Pollock  was  succeeded 
by  the  Rev.  Win.  Cowan,  from  Selkirk.  Mr  Cowan  was 
ordained  on  Gth  July  1846.  The  stipend  at  that  time  was 
£100  a  year  and  £10  for  expenses.  Within  a  year  of  Mr 
Cowan's  settlement  in  Buckhaven,  the  union  of  the 
Secession  and  Relief  Churches  had  taken  place.  Mr 
Cowan  resigned  the  charge  in  May  1855,  and  took  up 
missionary  work  in  Glasgow.  Mr  Alexander  C. 
Rutherford,  Falkirk,  was  inducted  as  the  fourth 
minister  of  the  congregation  on  13th  November  1855.  Mr 
Rutherford  was  translated  to  Noroh  Richmond  Street 
Church,  Edinburgh,  on  27th  March  1860.  He  died  in 


194  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND   WEMYSS. 

1878.  The  Rev.  Robert  Alexander,  a  native  of  Fen  wick, 
came  next.  He  was  ordained  on  25th  March  1862.  Mr 
Alexander  accepted  a  call  to  Queen  Anne  Street  Church, 
Dunfermline.  on  12th  August  1873.  Mr  John  G.  Train 
succeeded  Mr  Alexander.  He  was  ordained  on  7th  June 
1874.  Mr  Train  had  not  been  long  in  Buckhaven  when 
he  had  call  after  call  presented  by  congregations.  In 
1886  he  accepted  a  call  to  Hull,  and  is  now  in  London. 
Mr  William  Shaw  Stewart,  a  native  of  Ireland,  was 
ordained  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Church  on  27th  September 
1887.  He  went  to  Glasgow  in  December  1890,  and  on 
28th  April  1891  Mr  Win.  Dunlop  was  ordained  to  the 
charge.  Mr  Dunlop  is  a  native  of  Ayrshire,  and  is  an 
M.A.  of  Glasgow  University.  He  took  his  Divinity  course 
in  the  United  Presbyterian  Hall  of  Edinburgh.  He  takes 
a  great  interest  in  every  institution  established  for  good  in 
the  Burgh.  So  far  as  golf  is  concerned,  history  repeats 
itself  in  the  manse  of  Buckhaven.  Mr  Dunlop  is  as 
skilful  an  exponent  of  the  game  of  to-day  as  Mr  Pollock 
was ,  in  the  game  of  the  thirties.  He  plays  scratch  in 
the  Innerleven  Club.  The  present  church  was  opened 
during  the  ministry  of  Mr  Alexander.  The  opening 
services  took  place  on  12th  April  1869.  At  the  Union 
the  congregation  adopted  the  name  of  St  David's  United 
Free  Church. 

Muiredge  United  Free  Church. 

Muiredge  Church  is  spoken  of  as  a  "  daughter  "  of  St 
David's.  It  was  originated  by  Mr  Train,  and  was  opened 
on  2nd  July  1885.  The  Presbytery  intended  to  place  the 
church  to  the  north  of  the  Ness  Braes,  near  the  burn,  but 
ultimately  fixed  the  site  at  the  corner  of  Church  Street,  a 
spot  which  for  years  had  been  a  scene  of  animation  at  fairs 


PARISH   OP   WEMYSS.  195 

and  holiday  times.  Being  situated  on  ground  011  Muir- 
edge  Farm,  the  church  was,  at  the  suggestion  of  one  of  the 
elders  who  is  still  with  us,  named  Muiredge  Church.  The 
building  was  begun  in  1884.  The  work  proceeded  some- 
what slowly  at  first,  and  during  a  violent  westerly  gale  a 
squall  of  hurricane  force  blew  down  the  front  gable.  This 
retarded  the  work  still  more.  With  but  little  help  from  with- 
out, the  congregation  went  on  year  by  year  gradually  but 
surely  paying  off  debt  until,  before  the  ministry  of  the 
first  minister  was  closed  in  1894,  the  church  was  free  from 
all  financial  difficulty.  The  congregation  carried  through 
a  painting  and  cleaning  scheme  at  a  cost  of  £100  before 
its  second  minister  was  inducted.  After  a  year  this  new 
debt  was  cleared  off.  Mr  John  Bissett  (of  Lathones)  was 
ordained  as  the  first  minister  in  July  1886.  On  his 
acceptance  of  a  call  to  Lochee  Road  Church,  Dundee,  in 
February  1894,  a  short  vacancy  ensued.  In  July  of  the 
same  year  Mr  David  Hume,  M.A.,  London,  was  ordained 
to  the  second  charge.  The  want  of  a  manse  was  soon 
raised  as  a  question  of  increasing  urgency,  and  in  1902 
the  minister  was  comfortably  housed  in  a  new  manse, 

St  Andrew's  United  Free  Church. 

A  mission  station  under  the  auspices  of  the  Free 
Church  was  formed  in  Buckhaven  in  1 866.  The  members 
were  drawn  chiefly  from  East  Wemyss  and  Leven  con 
gregations.  For  several  years  the  station  was  under  the 
charge  of  successive  probationers.  The  services  were  at 
first  conducted  in  the  school,  but  a  church  was  erected  and 
opened  in  1872.  The  building  has  a  rather  interesting 
history.  It  was  originally  the  place  of  worship  of  the 
Episcopal  congregation  in  the  city  of  St  Andrews  ;  but, 
having  become  too  small,  the  building  as  it  stood  was 


196  RAMBLES   IN   SCOONIE   AND   WEMYSS. 

purchased  by  the  Free  Church  Committee,  the  materials 
brought  by  sea  to  Buckhaven,  and  re-erected  on  the  pre- 
sent site,  the  total  cost  being  about  .£1300.  In  1875  the 
station  was  raised  by  the  General  Assembly  to  the  posi- 
tion of  a  sanctioned  charge.  On  the  29th  October  1875 
the  Rev.  William  M'Ghie,  the  present  pastor,  was 
ordained  to  the  charge.  Mr  M'Ghie  is  a  native  of  Chapel- 
ton,  in  the  parish  of  Glassford,  Lanarkshire.  He  studied 
at  Glasgow  University  and  Free  Churcb  College.  During 
his  ministry  the  congregation  has  largely  increased.  At 
a  cost  of  nearly  .£1900,  the  church  has  been  extended,  a 
large  and  commodious  rnanse  erected,  and  a  hall  added  to 
the  congregational  property.  Mr  M'Ghie  has  been  a 
member  of  Wemyss  School  Board  for  21  years,  and  for  a 
term  fulfilled  the  duties  of  chairman. 

The  Established  Church. 

The  Established  Church  at  Buckhaven  had  its  origin 
in  missionary  work,  commenced  in  October  1894  by  the 
Rev.  John  Kennedy,  of  East  Wemyss.  The  Rev.  William 
Dunlop  was  the  first  missionary.  The  church  was  opened 
in  1900.  The  building  cost  £1500,  and  provides  accom- 
modation for  320  sitters  There  is  no  debt  on  the  build- 
ing. Mr  Dunlop  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  G.  Borrow- 
man,  who  in  1904  was  called  to  the  Scots  Church, 
Newcastle-on-Tyne,  The  Rev.  J.  Mackechnie  was  or- 
dained to  the  pastorate  of  the  church  in  February  1905, 
when  he  had  a  hearty  welcome  from  the  congregation,  and 
was  presented  with  a  gold  albert  and  appendage.  Mr 
Mackechnie  is  a  graduate  of  Edinburgh  University,  and 
was  the  pastor  of  the  Beach  Church,  Broughty  Ferry, 
previous  to  his  coming  to  Buckhaven. 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  197 

A  Church  of  Christ. 

A  branch  of  a  body  which  takes  the  name  of  the  Church 
of  Christ  meets  in  the  Iron  Church  in  Chapel  Street.'  The 
body  met  for  some  time  in  a  hall,  but  about  five  years  ago 
built  the  little  iron  church  in  which  they  now  assemble 
every  first  day  of  the  week.  The  members  adhere  firmly 
to  the  old  faith  of  "  putting  on  Christ "  by  immersion. 


THE  CAVES  OF  WEMYSS. 

The  "Kingdom"  of  Fife  abounds  in  caves  or  "weems"- 
a  derivative  from  the  Gaelic  name  for  a  cave.  In  St 
Andrews  we  have  the  cave  of  St  Rule,  at  Pittenweem  the 
cave  of  St  Fillan,  and  St  Adrian's  at  Caiplie  ;  in  Dunferrn- 
line,  the  cave  of  St  Margaret,  and  in  Culross,  St  Serf's. 
The  patron  saint  of  Culross  is  described  as  having  usually 
spent  the  forty  dajs  of  Lent  in  a  cave  named  the  Desertum. 
This  cave  at  Desertum,  or  Dysart,  was  utilised  as  a  church 
up  to  a  date  near  the  Reformation.  The  rocky  coast-line 
of  the  Firth  of  Forth  from  West  Wemyss  to  a  point  near 
Buckhaven  is,  to  use  a  suggestive  word  of  Sir  William 
Fraser,  "  honey-combed  "  by  caves.  Nine  caves  were  for 
years  accessible,  but  there  is  little  doubt  that  others 
existed.  As  time  went  on,  the  openings  of  the  unseen 
caves  had  been  covered  over  with  fallen  and  accumulated 
debris.  Only  one  of  the  nine  caves  was  situated  to  the 
west  of  the  village  of  East  Wemyss.  It  was  called  the 
Glass  Cave,  because  in  1610  Sir  George  Hay,  Lord  Clerk 
Register,  afterwards  Lord  Kinnoul,  established  a  manu- 
factory for  glass  in  the  pre-historic  dwelling,  and  in  1698, 
David  third  Earl  of  Wemyss  followed  the  example  of  the 
Earl  of  Kinnoul  Seven  years  ago,  the  Michael  pits  were 
sunk  on  the  shore  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  historic  cave. 
In  the  course  of  time  one  of  the  upper  seams  of  coal  was 
worked  und*r  the  cave.  The  operations  affected  the 
surface,  and  one  evening  four  years  ago  a  crash  was  heard 


THE   PARISH   OF   WEMYSS.  199 

in  the  valley  between  Wemyss  Castle  and  East  Wemyss. 
The  cave  had  fallen  in,  and  to-day  the  Glass  Cave  presents 
all  the  appearance  of  a  huge  wrecked  lime  kiln. 

The  Earl  of  Kirmoul  seems  to  have  carried  on  his  glass- 
work  at  considerable  loss.  Although  the  work  was  one  of 
the  earliest  of  the  kind  in  Scotland,  "the  demand  for  glass 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  particularly  heavy.  Reporting 
on  the  trade  to  James  VI.,  in  1619,  the  Privy  Council 
state  that  the  proprietor  had  discovered  that  the  income 
from  glass  for  a  year  would  not  meet  a  month's  bill  at  the 
works.  Despite  the  discouraging  circumstances,  Sir 
William  Eraser  found  from  the  Wemyss  papers  that  the 
works  were  active  in  1691  In  1698,  David  third  Earl  of 
Wemyss  obtained  an  Act  of  Parliament  giving  him  and 
others  a  monopoly  of  the  making  of  certain  kinds  of  glass. 
Perhaps  the  monopoly  secured  to  Earl  David  by  Act  of 
Parliament  enabled  him  to  make  two  ends  meet ;  but  it  is 
apparent  that  the  glass-blowers  who  followed  him  found  it 
a  difficult  task  to  work  to  profit.  Mr  Gibb,  the  minister 
of  the  parish,  writing  in  1790,  says  : — 

"This  cave,  which  is  about  200  feet  in  length,  100  feet  in 
breadth,  and  30  feet  in  height,  was  fitted  up  about  60  years  ago  by 
a  tacksman  for  a  glass-work  ;  but  soon  after  the  work  commenced 
the  man  became  bankrupt,  and  the  buildings  were  allowed  to  go  to 
ruin." 

Turning  eastwards,  beyond  the  village  of  East  Wemyss, 
the  first  cave  the  visitor  comes  to  is  the  Court  Cave, 
through  the  two  doorways  of  which  the  charming  shore- 
walk  is  threaded.  Two  explanations  of  the  name  of  this 
cave  are  given.  One  is  that  when  the  lands  of  Easter 
Wemyss  were  the  property  of  the  Livingstones  or  Colvilles, 
their  baronial  courts  were  held  in  the  cave ;  the  second  is 
that  James  IV.  in  a  frolic  one  evening  joined  a  company 


200 


RAMBLES    IN   SCOONIE   AND   WEMYSS. 


of  gipsies,  who  were  drinking  and  making  merry.  As  the 
"flowing  bowl"  went  round,  the  gipsies  began  to  quarrel 
among  themselves.  The  Guidman  of  Ballangeich  tried  to 
mediate  between  the  brawlers.  When  about  to  get  the 
"reddin'  stroke"  for  his  pains,  he  made  himself  known. 
Tradition  fails  to  tell  us  what  happened ;  but  the  gipsies 
doubtless  became  as  harmless  in  the  presence  of  Royalty  as 
the  doves  which  "  cooed  "  in  the  dovecot  close  by. 


J.  Patrick] 


The  Court  Cave,  East  Wemyss. 


[Edinburgh 


The  Castle  or  Well  Cave  is  near  the  Court  Cave.  The 
first  name  is  given  to  the  cave  because  of  a  tradition  that 
it  was  connected  with  the  Castle  by  an  underground  pass- 
age, while  it  took  the  second  name  from  a  well  (the  water 
of  which  was  said  to  be  a  specific  for  jaundice,  which  was 
situated  in  one  of  the  corners).  In  the  days  of  Mr  Gibb, 
the  Castle  Cave  was  annually  visited  by  the  young  people 


THE    PARISH    OF   WEMYS8.  201 

of  East  Wemyss  on  the  first  Monday  of  January,  old 
style.  The  young  people  carried  burning  torches.  Mr 
Gibb  tried  to  trace  the  origin  of  the  New- Year  processions, 
but  even  in  his  day  the  meaning  of  the  old  customs  had 
been  as  much  forgotten  as  were  the  early  dwellers  in  the 
Wemyss  caves. 

The  East  and  the  West  Dovecot  Caves  take  their 
names  because  they  had  been  utilised  as  pigeon  houses,  and 
the  name  Jonathan's  Cave  had  its  origin  in  the  fact  that  a 
poor  man  of  the  name  of  Jonathan,  and  his  family,  found 
a  shelter  for  years  in  the  long,  narrow,  rugged  aperture. 
An  accidental  slip  of  the  land  above  gave  rise  to  the  name 
"  Sloping  Cave,"  and  just  beyond  the  slip  there  are  the 
"White  Cave"  and  the  " Gas  Works  Cave."  Wyntoun 
tells  us  that  the  caves  were  the  habitations  or  retreats  of 
the  monks  of  early  times.  Wyntoun  was  no  doubt  right, 
but  the  caves  take  us  back  to  a  date  long  before  the  days  of 
the  monks  the  author  of  the  "  Originate  Cronykle"  had  in 
view. 

Professor  Sir  J.  Y.  Simpson,  when  on  a  visit  to 
Wemyss  in  1865,  discovered  rude  sculpturings  on  the  sides 
of  some  of  the  caves.  The  sculpturings  resembled  exactly 
the  carvings  on  certain  of  the  Sculptured  Stones  of  Scot- 
land. Here  there  were  figures  of  animals,  there  of  men, 
some  of  them  of  peculiar  shape,  and  in  other  places  crosses 
of  various  forms.  At  two  or  three  points  Professor  Simp- 
son and  Dr  Joseph  Robertson  discovered  letterings  and 
symbolic  arrangements  of  figures  or  hieroglyphics.  As  long 
as  the  mysterious  symbols  were  found  only  on  sepulchral 
monoliths,  so  long  were  they  supposed  to  be  hieroglyphic 
or  heraldic  funeral  inscriptions  or  emblems  ;  but  this  theory 
was  blown  to  the  winds  by  the  discovery  of  the  markings 


202  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

in  Wemyss  and  other  caves.  And  so  the  symbols  of  the 
Sculptured  Stones  of  Scotland  and  the  caves  remain 
archaeological  enigma.  That  the  Wemyss  caves  were  in- 
habited has  been  demonstrated  by  the  fact  that  bones  of 
sheep,  deer,  oxen,  etc.,  and  shells  and  remains  of  cereals, 
have  often  been  found  by  searchers  after  truth.  But  when 
the  caves  echoed  and  re-echoed  to  the  feet  of  men  and 
women  and  to  the  merry  voices  of  children  is  a  matter 
which  remains  in  the  region  of  conjecture. 

Macduff's  Castle. 

On  a  bold  commanding  height  above  the  group  of  caves 
is  the  fine  old  ruin  which  takes  the  name  of  Macduff's 
Castle.  Tradition  connects  the  castle  with  the  noble 
Thane,  the  daring  discomtitter  of  the  wicked  Macbeth. 
The  two  square  towers,  which  are  practically  the  only 
remnants  left  of  the  old  keep,  may  not  as  some  authorities 
assert  belong  to  eleventh  century  architecture,  but  they 
at  least  take  us  back  five,  centuries.  The  Earls  of  Fife 
undoubtedly  had  a  fortress  in  the  district,  and  the  ruins 
which  stand  on  the  steep  and  rocky  eminence,  and  which 
to-day  take  the  name  of  Macduff's  Castle,  may  be  the 
remains  of  that  building  or  its  successor.  Prior  to  the 
division  of  the  estates  in  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth 
century  the  Castle  was  occupied  by  the  successive  Lairds 
of  Wemyss. 

In  March  1304  King  Edward  made  a  progress  through 
Fife,  and  he  was  the  guest  for  a  night  and  a  day  of  Sir 
Michael  Wemyss  of  Wemyss.  Two  years  after,  when 
King  Robert  the  Bruce  came  forward  in  defence  of  the 
Scottish  people,  Sir  Michael  joined  the  patriots.  The 
actions  of  Sir  Michael  gave  great  offence  to  Edward,  and 
he  issued  orders  to  the  effect  that  the  "  manor"  where  Sir 


THE    PARISH    OF   WEMYSS. 


203 


Michael  "lay"  and  "all  his  other  manors  should  be 
burned  and  his  gardens  stripped  bare."  According  to 
Wyntoun,  it  was  at  Wemyss  where  Randolph  Earl  of 
Moray,  the  Regent  of  Scotland,  first  showed  symptoms  of 
the  illness  which  cut  him  down  in  July  1332. 

In   1615  the  Castle  was  said   to  consist  of  a   "laich 
cellar,"  a  chamber  called  the  "  woman  hous,"  two  chambers 


J.  Patrick] 


[Edinburgh 


Macduff  Castle,  East  Wemyss. 

called  the  "  laird's  chalmers,"  the  "great  chalmer,"  and  the 
"  keep  hous,"  with  houses  lying  to  the  "  Wester  Tower  of 
East  Wemyss,  called  the  bake  hous  and  brew  hous."  Sir 
William  Fraser  says  : — 

"  With  the  partition  of  the  Wemyss  Estates  the  old  Castle 
passed  into  the  possession  of  the  Livingstones  of  Drumry,  who 
married  one  of  the  three  co-heiresses  of  Sir  Michael  Wemyss  of 
Wemyss.  They  obtained  the  eastern  portion  of  the  estate  of 


204  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

Wemyss,  on  which  the  Castle  stood,  and  it  remained  with  them 
until  1530,  when  it  became  the  property  of  the  Colvilles,  who 
sold  it  in  1630,  with  the  estate,  to  John  first  Earl  of  Wemyss. 
This  Earl,  as  if  rejoicing  in  the  re  acquisition  of  the  ancient  strong- 
hold of  the  family,  made  it  his  residence  for  some  time  during  the 
remaining  period  of  his  life.  But  his  son,  David  second  Earl  of 
Wemyss,  preferred  the  Castle  of  West  Wemyss." 

The  Countess  of  Wemyss,  wife  of  John  first  Earl  of 
Wemyss,  died  at  East  Wemyss  on  17th  August  1639.  The 
Countess  of  Sutherland,  the  daughter  of  the  second  Earl, 
wrote  in  1666  from  Dunrobin  Castle  asking  her  father  to 
allow  her  children  to  reside  in  the  Castle  of  East  Weinyss 
because  it  was  feared  that  a  plague  would  break  out  in 
Edinburgh.  This  request  on  the  part  of  Lady  Jean 
Wemyss  proves  that  the  Castle  was  at  least  habitable  up 
to  1666.  It  must  have  been  after  this  that  the  historic 
building  was  allowed  to  go  to  decay.  At  the  base  of  the 
cliffs  on  the  beach  there  is  a  magnificent  dovecot,  which 
reminds  one  of  the  saying  common  to  the  Fife  laird  of  old : 
— "  A  wee  pickle  rent,  a  gey  pickle  debt,  and  a  doocot." 

Wemyss  Castle. 

Wemyss  Castle  is  an  imposing  and  stately  building, 
which  is  charmingly  situated,  commanding  a  magnificent 
view  of  the  Forth  and  the  shores  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river.  Looking  from  a  point  within  the  shadow  of  the 
ancient  keep  associated  with  the  name  of  Macduff,  Wemyss 
Castle  is  seen  peeping  through  the  trees  and  "flaunting  its 
flag,"  as  Mr  Geddie  says,  against  the  blue  sky.  How  long 
a  flag  has  floated  in  the  breeze  on  the  castle  it  is  difficult 
to  say.  The  building  has  undergone  a  great  many  changes, 
and  the  older  part  bears  such  marks  of  antiquity  that  it 
carries  one's  thoughts  back  to  the  distant  past  when  the 
immediate  successors  of  the  Thane  of  Fife  were  the 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS. 


205 


superiors  of  old  Wemyss-shire  and  other  lands  in  the 
ancient  "  Kingdom."  The  eastern  wing  is  undoubtedly 
part  of  the  original  stronghold.  When  it  was  erected  it  is 
impossible  to  say,  but  it  is  abundantly  proved  that  there 
was  a  castle  at  Wemyss  in  the  days  of  Sir  John  Wemyss 
of  Reres  and  Wemyss  (1372-1428).  On  the  death  of  Sir 
Michael,  the  fifth  known  laird  of  Wemyss,  the  estates 
were  divided  between  his  three  daughters  as  his  co- 
heiresses. They  married  into  the  families  of  Inchmartin 
of  Inchmartin,  Boswell  of  Balmuto,  and  Livingstone  of 
Drumry.  Wemyss-shire,  as  Sir  William  Eraser  tells  us, 
ultimately  fell  to  be  divided  between  two  of  the  families, 
and  the  one  family  took  up  residence  in  MacdufPs  Castle, 
while  the  other  was  resident  in  the  manor  house. 

That  Sir  John  Wemyss  of  Reres  and  Wemyss  had 
a  residence  at  Wemyss  is  apparent  from  the  fact  that 
his  eldest  son,  David  Wemyss,  dates  a  document  from 
Wemyss  in  1423,  and  Sir  William  Fraser  found  documents 
which  showed  that  the  Wemyss  and  the  Livingstone 
families  had  their  respective  manor  houses  at  Wester  and 
Easter  Wemyss  in  1428.  On  the  archway  leading  into  the 
court  of  the  old  portion  of  the  Castle  there  is  an  unique 
armorial  stone.  The  stone  on  one  side  bears  two  letters 
D,  and  on  the  sinister  side  two  letters  V.  The  initial 
letters  are  supposed  to  represent  David  of  Wemyss  and  his 
son  David.  In  a  broad  margin  surrounding  the  armorial 
stone  we  have  the  date  1421.  En  the  days  of  Sir  John 
Wemyss,  in  1430,  the  Castle  is  spoken  of  as  "  The  Manor 
of  Wemyss."  Coining  to  the  days  of  Sir  David  Wemyss 
of  Wemyss  (1508-1513),  we  find  the  ancient  keep  referred 
to  as  the  "Manor  of  Wester  Wemyss,"  and  in  1570,  when 
King  James  the  Fourth  erected  the  whole  of  the  estates  of 

N 


206  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

Sir  David  Into  the  Barony  of  Wemyss,  the  Castle  of  Wemyss 
was  assigned  as  the  principal  messuage  of  the  new  barony. 

In  the  troublous  times  which  existed  between  1544 
and  1550,  Sir  John  Wemyss  of  that  ilk  was  a  conspicu- 
ous figure  among  the  nobles  of  the  time.  He  was  on  the 
side  of  the  Governor  Arran,  and  in  1547  we  find  him 
and  his  followers  called  to  the  Borders  to  repel  an  English 
invasion  ;  but  Sir  John  and  his  retainers  soon  returned  to 
"Wemyss  for  the  defence  of  the  castle  and  homestead  in 
case  of  attack.  On  the  3rd  August  1548,  the  Queen- 
Dowager,  Mary  of  Guise,  visited  the  Castle  while  on  her 
way  from  Edinburgh  to  St  Andrews.  The  Queen-Regent 
died  in  June  1560,  and  on  19th  August  1561,  the  young 
widowed  Queen  Mary  returned  to  her  kingdom  from 
France.  Between  the  date  of  Mary's  arrival  at  Leith  and 
the  beginning  of  1565  a  good  deal  of  speculation  was 
indulged  in  over  her  probable  marriage,  and  in  February 
of  that  year  an  incident  happened  at  the  Castle  of  Wemyss 
which  soon  set  speculation  at  rest.  In  January  1565 
Mary  journeyed  to  Fife  from  Edinburgh,  and  she  spent 
most  of  the  first  month  of  the  year  at  Falkland  and  St 
Andrews.  The  Queen's  sojourn  in  the  "  Kingdom,"  says 
John  Knox,  "  caused  wild  fowl  to  be  so  dear  that  part- 
ridges sold  at  a  crown  a  piece." 

Mary  left  St  Andrews  on  llth  February,  and  next  day 
came  to  Lundie.  On  the  13th  she  rode  to  Wemyss  by  the 
coast,  and  among  those  who  welcomed  the  royal  party 
at  the  Castle  of  the  "  Weeins  "  was  the  ill-fated  Henry 
Stewart,  Lord  Darnley.  The  first  impressions,  says  a 
certain  writer,  were  "favourable  and  abiding."  The 
impressions  made  during  the  week's  sojourn  at  Wemyss 
were  at  least  favourable,  but  one  can  hardly  say  they  were 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  207 

abiding.  On  Mary's  return  to  Edinburgh,  Darnley  "haunted 
the  Court."  The  Queen  at  first  pretended  to  "  disrelish  " 
a  proposal  of  marriage,  and  even  refused  a  ring;  but  by  the 
20th  of  July  she  had  created  Darnley  Duke  of  Albany, 
and  on  the  29th  of  the  same  month  the  marriage  bells 
were  ringing  in  Holyrood  Palace.  On  9th  March  1566, 
Riccio,  the  Queen's  secretary,  was  at  the  instigation  of 
Darnley  done  to  death  in  the  Queen's  chamber. 

On  9th  February  1567  the  town  of  Edinburgh  was  early 
in  the  morning  alarmed  by  a  loud  explosion,  the  mansion 
in  which  the  King  lodged  had  been  blown  up,  and  the 
remains  of  the  gay  young  Darnley,  who  just  two  years 
before  had  spent  a  week  in  Wemyss,  were  found  in  a  field. 
Towards  the  close  of  1586,  Christendom  in  Scotland  was 
stirred  by  the  Queen  being  placed  upon  trial  on  the 
ground  of  her  alleged  complicity  in  Babington's  plot  for 
the  assassination  of  Elizabeth.  Events  crowded  in  upon 
each  other,  and  in  1587  Mary  was  executed.  Wemyss 
Castle  is  not  allowed  to  forget  Mary.  A  memorial  of  her 
visit  remains  at  the  Castle  in  the  form  of  a  sculptured 
medallion  which  was  inserted  in  the  front  wall.  The 
picture  gallery  in  the  Castle  includes  a  beautiful  portrait 
of  the  Queen.  Close  by  the  oil-painting  of  Mary  hangs  a 
portrait  of  Darnley.  Both  paintings  bear  the  date  1566. 

James  VI.  was  particularly  anxious  that  he  and  his 
Queen,  Anne  of  Denmark,  should  be  well  received  by  the 
people  of  Scotland  on  the  occasion  of  their  marriage.  James 
wrote  to  the  laird  of  Wemyss,  David  Wemyss  of  Wemyss, 
instructing  him  to  receive  and  entertain  them  for  one 
night,  Monday,  llth  May  1590.  The  reception  and  the 
entertainment  seems  to  have  come  up  to  the  expectations  of 
the  "  Scottish  Solomon,"  for  in  June  of  the  following  year 


208  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

his  majesty  was  in  Wemyss  Castle  when  the  Earl 
Marischal,  who  was  in  disgrace,  came  to  the  "  Kingdom  " 
to  try  to  make  peace  with  the  king.  David  the  second 
Earl  of  Wemyss  had  the  honour  of  being  one  of  the 
Parliamentary  Commissioners  who,  in  1650,  welcomed 
Charles  II.  at  Falkland.  Charles  reached  Falkland  on  6th 
July,  and  on  the  12th  he  dined  with  the  Earl  of  Wemyss 
at  Wemyss  Castle.  Lamont  chronicles  the  event  in  these 
words  : — "  The  tyme  that  he  abode  at  Falklande  he  went 
downe  one  day  and  dyned  at  the  E.  of  Wemyss'  house." 
Charles  was  crowned  king  at  Scono  on  1st  January  1651, 
and  shortly  afterwards  he  made  a  progress  through  Fife  to 
visit  the  fortifications  of  the  Forth.  From  Stirling  he 
reached  Burntisland  on  12th  February,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing day  rode  to  Wemyss  Castle,  where  he  passed  the  night. 
David  the  second  Earl  of  Wemyss  made  enormous  ex- 
tensions to  the  Castle  in  1669-70.  The  additions  included  a 
dining-room,  a  drawing-room,  two  bed-chambers,  and  two 
closets.  On  the  22nd  October  1670  the  armorial  bearings 
of  the  Earl  and  Countess,  their  names,  and  the  year  1670, 
were  cut  on  a  stone,  which  was  built  in  the  addition  to  the 
Castle.  "  Ther's  nothing  mor  requisitte  about  any  family 
than  good  watter,"  says  Earl  David,  and  he  proceeds  to 
narrate  the  steps  he  took  to  ensure  good  supplies  of  water 
in  the  "  tu  walles  (wells)  in  the  outter  close  of  the  Castle." 
David  third  Earl  of  Wemyss  added  to  the  amenities  of  the 
Castle,  and  in  1756  his  son  James,  the  fourth  Earl,  worked 
out  many  improvements.  General  Wemyss  of  Wemyss, 
grandson  of  the  fourth  Earl,  made  additions  and  built  the 
stables,  which  are  of  a  classic  style  of  architecture,  and 
which  stand  on  a  site  on  the  face  of  the  hill  to  the  north 
of  the  Castle. 


THE    PAUISH    OF    WKMYSS. 


209 


Adn)iral  Wemyss  and  Mr  Hay  Erskine  Wemyss  carried 
out  extensions  and  improvements.  After  the  death  of 
Mr  Hay  Erskine  Wemyss,  his  widow,  in  conjunction 
with  her  son,  Mr  R.  G.  E.  Wemyss,  the  present  laird, 
had  a  good  many  changes  made.  A  new  saloon  and  en- 
trance hall  were  built.  The  great  hall  of  the  Castle  has 
recently  been  restored  by  Mr  Wemyss,  and  much  has  been 


Milliken] 


[Kirkcaldy 


Wemyss  Castle. 


done  for  the  gardens  and  grounds.  A  barrel -vaulted  room 
on  the  ground  floor  has  been  converted  into  a  chapel 
which  takes  the  name  of  the  Saint  Mary,  Star  of  the  Sea 
Chapel.  Services  are  conducted  regularly  by  the  Rev.  A. 
T.  Grant,  the  chaplain  (who  has  done  invaluable  work  in 
historical  research  bearing  on  Fife  and  other  counties),  and 


210  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMY8S. 

the  public  are  admitted  by  the  lower  doorway.  A  silver 
plate  on  the  splay  of  the  first  window  bears  the  following 
inscription : — 

"  Saint  Mary,  Star  of  the  Sea,  at  the  Wemyss.  To  the  Glory 
of  God.  In  memory  of  Milicent  Mary  Kennedy  Erskine,  wife  of 
James  Hay  Wemyss  of  Wemyss.  Born  xi.  May  1831  ;  dying  at 
home,  xi.  Feby.  1895,  near  midnight.  This  chapel  for  her  dear  sake 
is  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God  by  her  surviving  children,  Mary, 
Randolph,  Hvgo,  Rosslyn.  '  For  where  your  treasure  is,  there 
will  your  heart  be  also.'  Dedicated  18  September  1897,  by  George 
Howard,  Lord  Bishop  of  St  Andrews,  Dunkeld,  and  Dunblane." 

In  the  chapel,  which  is  lit  throughout  by  candles,  there 
are  many  architectural  and  other  features  which  are  in- 
teresting. One  of  the  most  noteworthy  features  is  the 
recumbent  marble  statue  of  the  late  Mrs  Wemyss,  to 
whose  memory  the  chapel  is  dedicated.  The  statue  is  the 
work  of  Princess  Louise,  the  Duchess  of  Argyle.  Above 
the  statue  are  the  following  : — 

"  Sleepe  after  toyle  ; 

Port  after  stormie  seas  ; 
Ease  after  warre ; 

Death  after  life,  does  greatly  please." 


THE  VILLAGE  OF  EAST  WEMYSS. 

The  old  village  of  East  Weinyss  lies  snugly  in  a  creek 
between  Macduff  and  Wemyss  Castles.  The  new  East 
Wemyss,  which  has  sprung  into  existence  in  recent  years, 
lies  on  the  higher  slopes  by  the  Lappy  and  the  Den  burns, 
and  which  afford  shelter  from  the  north  to  the  white- 
washed h&uses  which  form  the  "auld  toon."  In  the  olden 
time  the  roar  of  the  sea — just  over  the  big  wall — had 
accompaniments  in  the  shape  of  the  click  of  the  weaver's 
shuttle  and  the  rattle  of  the  hand  loom  To-day  there  is 
not  a  hand  loom  at  work  in  the  parish,  and  if  the  curious 
want  to  peep  at  a  spinning  wheel  or  a  reel,  they  must  go 
to  a  drawing-room,  where  the  furniture  of  a  decayed  art 
looks  much  out  of  place,  or  to  the  shop  of  a  collector  of 
that  which  is  antique.  Although  the  hand  loom  is  as 
silent  as  the  blowers  in  the  "  Glass  Cove,"  it  is  pleasant  to 
be  able  to  state  that  through  the  enterprise  of  Messrs 
Johnston,  whose  steam  factory  is  well  employed,  the  village 
is  what  the  artist  would  speak  of  as  "A  study  in  black 
and  white" — coals  and  linen.  An  old  miner  used  to  speak 
of  the  chemiss  splint  coal  as  a  "jet  black  coal,"  and  time 
was  when  linen,  after  it  came  from  the  bleach  works  which 
from  time  immemorial  have  flourished  on  the  banks  of  the 
Leven,  was  spoken  of  in  East  Wemyss  as  being  "as  white 
as  the  driven  snaw." 

The  Barony  of  Easter  Wemyss. 

Sir  Michael  Wemyss  of  Wemyss,  who  died  between 
1342  and  1346,  left  no  surviving  male  issue,  and  his  pos- 


212  RAMBLES     IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

sessions  were  divided  among  his  daughters,  three  in 
number.  The  dividing  of  the  estates  among  the  daughters 
led  to  the  distinction  between  East  and  West  Wemyss. 
One  of  the  daughters  married  a  Livingstone  of  Drumry. 
It  was  in  1508  that  King  James  IV.  created  the  lands  of 
East  Wemyss  and  part  of  Lochoreshire  into  the  barony  of 
East  Wemyss,  with  the  manor  of  East  Wemyss  as  the 
principal  messuage,  in  favour  of  Sir  Robert  Livingstone  of 
Drumry.  Sir  Robert's  daughter,  Margaret  Livingstone, 
who  is  lovingly  spoken  of  as  the  "  Lady  of  East  .Wemyss,'' 
married  Sir  James  Hamilton  of  Finnart,  the  architect  of 
Falkland  Palace.  After  Hamilton  had  obtained  Easter 
Wemyss  he  exchanged  it  in  1530  with  Sir  James  Colville 
of  Ochiltree  for  his  barony  and  Castle  of  Ochiltree  in  Ayr- 
shire. Sir  James  thus  became  Colville  of  Easter  Wemyss. 
The  new  owner  of  Easter  Wemyss  was  attainted  of  treason, 
and  in  1540,  after  his  death,  his  lands  were  forfeited. 
Three  years  afterwards,  however,  they  were  restored  to  his 
son,  who  attained  distinction  in  the  French  wars,  and  in 
1598  was  created  Lord  Colville  of  Culross.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  grandson,  James,  second  Lord  Colville,  at 
whose  death  in  1640  the  lands  of  Easter  Wemyss  were 
purchased  by  Sir  John,  the  first  Earl  of  Wemyss,  and  re- 
united to  the  barony  of  Wemyss.  The  lands  of  Easter 
Wemyss  were  therefore  exactly  a  century  in  the  hands  of 
the  Colville  family.  David  the  second  Earl  of  Wemyss 
received  a  Crown  charter  of  the  lands  consolidating  them 
into  the  single  Barony  of  Wemyss. 

The  Established  Church. 

The  Established  Church  of  East  Wemyss  has  a  long 
history .  Sir  John  of  Methil  and  Wemyss,  son  of  Michael, 
who  makes  his  first  appearance  historically  as  a  witness  to 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS. 


213 


a  charter  in  1202,  conveys  certain  lands  to  the  monks  of 
May  on  behalf  of  the  souls  of  himself,  liis  father,  mother, 
wife,  son,  and  others.  Sir  John  also,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  times,  enriched  the  Hospital  of  Soltre  or 
Soutra,  a  small  religious  house  on  a  ridge  of  the  Lammer- 
moors,  by  conveying  to  the  master  and  brethren  there,  on 
behalf  of  his  own  soul  and  the  souls  of  ^Earl  Duncan  and 
others,  all  his  rights  in  the  Church  of  St  Mary  of  Werayss, 


J.  Patrick] 


Established  Church,  East  Wemyss. 


[Edinburgh 


to  be  held  as  alms  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  in  the 
Hospital  of  Soutra.  Sir  William  Eraser  states  that  the 
charter  was  not  dated,  but  he  argues  from  other  evidence 
that  it  must  have  been  granted  about  1239.  In  1261  the 
Bishop  of  St  Andrews  confirms  the  charter,  and  provides 
for  an  honourable  sustenance  to  the  vicar  who  served  the 
church  of  Wemyss  on  behalf  of  the  brethren  of  Soutra,  and 
for  the  payment  of  a  pension  due  annually  by  the  church 


214  RAMBLES    IN    8COONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

of  Wemyss  to  the  Dysart  church.  In  1321  Sir  David 
Wemyss  confirmed  the  charter,  and  granted  the  brethren 
or  their  men  power  to  make  malt  and  to  sell  it. 

Sir  William  Fraser  records  an  appearance  of  Sir  John 
Wemyss,  in  the  Parish  Church  of  Wemyss,  in  connection 
with  certain  lands.  A  Church  dispute  of  considerable 
interest  is  recorded  as  having  occurred  in  the  days  of  the 
first  David  of  Wemyss,  in  1527.  .It  appears  that  a 
dispute  had  arisen  between  Sir  David  and  Sir  John 
Dingwall,  who  held  the  double  office  of  Provost  of  Trinity 
College,  Edinburgh,  and  vicar  of  the  Parish  Church  of 
Wemyss.  The  fishermen  of  East  Wemyss  and  Buckhaven 
joined  the  Laird  and  were  parties  to  the  action.  Contrary 
to  the  practice  of  the  times,  Sir  John  Dingwall  made  an 
appeal  to  the  Court  of  Rome.  For  this  "  contumacy"  the 
judges  gave  judgment  in  favour  of  Sir  David  Wemyss  and 
his  fishermen  friends,  and  under  pain  of  excommunication 
the  Provost- Vicar  was  called  upon  to  pay  the  costs  of  the 
plea,  £99  8s  8d  Scots.  The  sentence  was  announced 
during  High  Mass  in  the  church  of  Wemyss,  in  presence  of 
the  parishioners.  Among  the  parishioners  the  sentence 
was  received  with  joy ;  but  Sir  John  Dingwall  did  not 
repent  of  "  contumacy,"  and  he  was  excommunicated  for 
his  pains.  A  settlement  of  the  dispute  was  ultimately 
effected,  however,  by  arbitration.  And  in  connection  with 
the  finding  of  the  arbiters  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  the 
vicar  was  advised  to  yield  up  the  offerings  due  to  him  from 
St  Mary's  Chapel,  because  the  Parish  Church  of  Wemyss 
was  being  "built  or  repaired  by  Sir  Patrick  Jackson,  the 
chaplain."  Here  in  1528  we  have  a  specific  statement 
showing  that  the  church,  which  probably  dated  back  to 
the  days  of  David  I.,  was  being  practically  re-built. 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  215 

It  may  be  interesting  to  state  that  the  Hospital  of 
Soutra  was  in  1462  annexed  by  the  Queen  of  James  II.  to 
Trinity  College  Church,  Edinburgh,  which  thus  acquired 
the  kirk  and  kirk-lands  of  Wemyss.  After  the  Reforma- 
tion of  1560,  Trinity  College  Church  was  bestowed  on  the 
city  of  Edinburgh,  and  the  Lord  Provost,  Magistrates,  and 
other  representatives  became  the  patrons  and  titulars  of 
the  teinds.  The  sub-Committee  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Kirkcaldy  commuted  the  payment  in  victual  into  money — 
West  Wemyss  paying  £748  10s  8d  Scots,  and  East 
Wemyss,  £607  18s  8d  of  the  total,  which  was  to  be  col- 
lected by  the  Laird  of  Wemyss.  800  merks  went  to  the 
minister  and  800  to  the  Town  Council  of  Edinburgh.  In 
1650  the  stipend  was  raised  to  1200  merks.  Sir  John, 
Earl  of  Wemyss,  was  at  this  time  an  uncompromising 
Presbyterian,  and  united  with  his  fellow-countrymen  in 
opposing  King  Charles'  attempt  to  force  Episcopacy  on  the 
country. 

The  church  at  East  Wemyss  was  much  improved  in 
1792.  Writing  in  1794,  the  Rev.  George  Gibb  gives  us  the 
following  glimpse  at  Church  affairs  in  the  parish  : — 

"  The  stipend,  as  settled  by  the  Court  of  Session  in  February 
1794,  is  £50  of  money,  64  bolls  of  meal,  32  bolls  of  bear,  and 
£5  11s  l^d  for  furnishing  communion  elements.  The  manse  was 
built  in  1791,  and  to  the  honour  of  the  heritor  is  one  of  the  best  in 
the  country.  .  .  .  The  glebe  contains  between  eight  and  nine 
acres.  There  are  some  rocks  and  seaweed  which  belong  to  the 
minister,  and  as  this  property  is  near  the  glebe,  it  is  of  great 
advantage  for  manure.  For  the  kelp  from  the  rocks  the  present 
incumbent  has  received  about  £5  5s  every  three  years.'' 

Writing  in  1838,  the  Rev.  John  M'Lachlan  says  : — 

"  The  church  has  sittings  for  about  1000  persons.  It  is  far  too 
small  for  the  parish.  From  900  to  1000  communicate  annually. 
The  people  are  very  attentive  to  the  ordinances  of  religion.  The 


216  RAMI3LES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

stipend  is  17  chalders,  half  meal  and  half  barley,  converted  at  the 
rate  of  the  highest  fiars  of  the  county,  with  £10  for  communion 
elements.  There  are  some  rocks  and  seaweed  or  ware  that  belong 
to  the  cure." 

Recently  the  church  was  re-seated.  A  handsome  pipe- 
organ  has  been  introduced,  and  the  baptismal  font,  the 
communion  table,  and  other  furnishings,  are  extremely 
handsome.  There  are  as  many  as  620  names  on  the  com- 
munion roll. 

The  present  manse  was  built  in  1791.  The  manse  of  the 
olden  time  stands  immediately  behind  the  dwelling  of  to- 
day, the  date  stone  showing  that  it  was  built  in  1673. 
The  Kirk  Session  records  date  without  a  break  back  to 
1645.  The  communion  vessels  are  as  interesting  as  the 
records.  There  are  two  silver  mazers  and  four  communion 
cups.  The  mazers  are  9  inches  in  height  and  8|  inches  in 
diameter  at  the  mouth,  and  the  cups  are  10  inches  by  4f . 
The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  inscriptions  : — 

MAZEKS — (1.)  Given  by  The  Countes  of  Leven  to  the  Kirk  of 
Weyms,  Anno  1673.  (2.)  Given  by  My  Lord  Bruntisland  to  the 
Kirk  of  Weyms,  Anno  1673. 

CUPS — (1.)  Given  by  the  Countess  of  Wemysse  to  the  Kirk  of 
Wemysse,  1673.  (2.)  Given  by  the  Countess  of  Wemysse  to  the 
Kirk  of  Wemysse,  1673.  (3.)  Given  by  My  Lady  Bruntiland  to 
the  Kirk  of  The  Wemysse,  1673.  (4.)  Given  by  Master  James 
Nairn,  to  the  Kirk  of  Wemysse,  1673. 

There  are  four  flagons,  which  bear  the  date  1794,  and 
two  pewter  salvers  dated  1799. 

The  Ministers  of  the  Parish. 

After  the  Reformation,  the  parish  was  first  supplied  by 
John  Bousie,  reader.  He  was  in  the  parish  from  1576  to  1680. 
John  Tullus,  the  natural  nephew  of  Mr  Andrew  Binnet, 
minister  of  Moninmil,  and  reader  at  Foules-Wester,  took 


THE    PARISH    OF   WEMYSS.  217 

up  duty  in  the  parish  about  1585.  Mr  Tullus  was  granted 
a  certain  sum  out  of  the  rent  of  Trinity  College,  on  con- 
dition that  Mr  Robert  Pont,  who  was  stated  to  have  the 
"  haill  rent  of  the  Provostry,"  paid  the  other  half  of  the 
stipend.  As  a  minister  Mr  Tullus  is  stated  to  have  been 
"  weak,"  but  he  held  the  post  despite  his  weakness  until 
he  died  in  June  1636.  Patrick  Mearns,  a  graduate  of  St 
Andrews  University,  took  up  duty  for  Mr  Tullus.  He 
was  presented  by  the  Town  Council  of  Edinburgh.  He 
was  admitted  on  8th  September  1636,  but  had  only  been 
in  the  parish  fifteen  months  when  he  died  "ane  young 
man  unmairrit." 

The  godly  George  Gillespie  followed.  Gillespie,  who 
was  the  son  of  the  Rev.  John  Gillespie,  the  minister  of 
Kirkcaldy,  was  born  in  1613.  He  was  presented  to 
Wemyss  on  5th  January  1638,  and  on  the  llth  of  the 
same  month  the  Archbishop  of  St  Andrews  wrote  asking 
the  Moderator  to  try  the  new  minister.  The  Moderator 
was  not  prepared  to  usurp  the  functions  of  the  Presbytery 
at  the  dictation  of  the  Archbishop,  and  he  advised  the 
brethren  to  "  prescrybe  ane  text"  to  Gillespie  "to  teach" 
in  Kirkcaldy.  On  the  18th  January  he  preached,  and, 
says  Scott  in  his  "Fasti,"  "got  the  usual  testimonial." 
Instead  of  being  admitted  by  the  Archbishop  he  was 
ordained  by  the  Presbytery,  and  the  Covenant  was  signed 
by  all  the  ministers  present.  Through  Gillespie's  ordina- 
tion Wemyss  had  the  honour  conferred  upon  it  of  having 
the  second  minister  in  Scotland  who  was  ordained,  after 
Episcopacy  was  established,  without  the  countenance  of 
the  Archbishop.  Six  months  after  his  ordination  to 
Wemyss  he  was  also  presented  to  Methil  by  David  Lord 
Elcho. 


218  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

At  the  age  of  24,  while  a  tutor  to  James  Lord  Kennedy, 
Mr  Gillespie  wrote  a  book  which  bore  the  title,  "  A  Dis- 
pute against  the  English  Popish  Ceremonies  obtruded  on 
the  Church  of  Scotland."  The  ordination  at  Wemyss  of 
the  author  of  the  book  was  noised  abroad,  and  in  ISTovem- 
ber  1838,  the  very  month  he  combined  the  duties  of  the 
minister  of  Methil  with  those  of  Wemyss,  he  was  chosen 
to  preach  before  the  memorable  Assembly  of  the  Church  of 
Scotland  in  Glasgow.  Baillie  says  : — "  In  his  sermon  the 
youth  very  learnedly  and  judiciously,  as  they  say,  handled 
the  words — 'The  King's  heart  is  in  the  hand  of  the  Lord.'  " 
Gillespie  thereafter  became  chaplain  to  the  army  of  Cove- 
nanters, and  was  a  Commissioner  from  the  Church  of 
Scotland  to  the  Westminster  Assembly  of  Divines,  who 
were  appointed  to  draw  up  the  Shorter  Catechism.  At 
Westminster  he  acquitted  himself  as  well  as  he  did  at 
Glasgow.  Apparently  overlooking  the  fact  that  a  defini- 
tion of  God  had  hundred  of  years  before  been  given  by 
Christ  in  the  words,  "  God  is  a  spirit,"  the  divines  were 
completely  nonplussed  when  they  came  to  give  their  minds 
to  the  question,  "  What  is  God  ?  "  Gillespie  was  asked  to 
pray  for  guidance,  and  he  began  his  prayer  by  addressing 
God  "as  a  spirit,  infinite,  eternal,  unchangeable  in  His 
being,  wisdom,  power,  holiness,  justice,  goodness,  and 
truth."  The  Westminster  divines  were  struck  with  the 
terms  of  the  prayer,  and  at  once  accepted  them  as  a  defini- 
tion of  the  question,  "  What  is  God  ?" 

In  1641  the  minister  of  Wemyss  was  called  to  Aber- 
deen, but  his  removal  to  the  Granite  City  was  prevented 
by  a  majority  in  the  Assembly.  At  the  same  time,  it  was 
thought  that  he  would  be  a  good  man  for  St  Andrews,  but 
the  prosecution  of  a  call  to  the  "City  by  the  Sea"  was 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  219 

discouraged.  In  1642  he  had  a  pension  bestowed  upon 
him  by  His  Majesty,  and  then  came  his  translation  to  Old 
Greyfriars  Church,  Edinburgh.  In  1647  he  was  selected 
to  succeed  Alexander  Henderson  in  the  High  Church,  but 
here  his  labours  were  soon  ended.  On  17th  December 
1648  he  died  in  the  36th  year  of  his  age  and  the  eleventh 
year  of  his  ministry.  So  ended  the  life  of  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  stars  associated  with  the  Church  of  Scotland  in 
far  off  days.  The  Apostle  James  compares  life  to  a  vapour 
that  appeareth  for  a  little  time  and  then  vanishes  away. 
Gillespie's  life  was  a  very  short  one,  but  before  he  vanished 
from  the  courts  of  the  Assembly  of  the  Church  of  Scotland 
he  left  on  record  something  which  was  more  enduring  than 
a  vapour : — 

' '  One  crowded  hour  of  glorious  life 
Is  worth  an  age  without  a  name." 

Some  other  Hinisters. 

Gillespie  was  succeeded  by  Harie  Wilkie,  who  was 
translated  from  the  little  parish  of  Portmoak,  on  the  banks 
of  Loch  Leven,  at  the  earnest  desire  of  John  Earl  of 
Wemyss,  on  19th  October  1642.  Scott  tells  us  that 
Wilkie  was  a  "little,  knackity  (self-conceited)  body."  He 
was  challenged  before  the  Synod  on  September  1657  for 
certain  speeches  he  had  made  which  were  not  seemly,  and 
for  things  done  at  a  daughter's  marriage,  but  the  "knackity 
body"  was  acquitted.  He  died  on  7th  October  1664. 

James  Nairne,  an  A.M.  from  Bolton,  was  admitted  on 
31st  May  1665.  He  was  a  learned  man,  and  was  offered 
a  bishopric  in  1671,  but  refused  it.  He  demitted  his 
charge  in  1678,  and  died  in  July  following.  He  is 
written  of  as  "the  most  eloquent  of  all  our  preachers,  and 
a  person  of  very  considerable  learning  "  ;  but  with  all  his 


220  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

learning  he  does  not  seem  to  have  been  very  sound  in  the 
faith,  for  he  was  "inclinable  to  Pelagian  tenets."  The 
school  of  Pelagius  denied  the  doctrine  of  original  sin. 
Nairue  bequeathed  his  library  to  the  University  of  Edin- 
burgh. Alexander  Monro  came  next,  from  the  parish  of 
Kinglassie.  He  was  admitted  in  June  1678.  Like  his 
predecessor,  he  was  a  man  of  considerable  learning.  In 
1682  he  was  appointed  Professor  of  Divinity  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  St  Andrews,  and  accordingly  demitted  his 
charge  in  Werayss.  Alexander  Lundie,  A.M.,  who  came 
from  Carnbee,  was  admitted  on  14th  May  1683.  Within 
three  years  he  was  translated  to  Cupar,  and  made  way  for 
Alexander  Ker,  an  A.M.  of  St  Andrews,  who  took  up 
duty  in  Wemyss  on  8th  September  1686.  He  was  de- 
prived of  the  living  by  Privy  Council  on  29th  August 
1689.  He  was  succeeded  by  William  Tullidaff,  A.M., 
formerly  of  Kilbirnie,  and  then  came  the  following  minis- 
ters : — Archibald  Riddell,  A.M.,  from  Kippen,  26th  Sep- 
tember 1691,  translated  to  Kirkcaldy,  January  1697  ; 
Thomas  Black,  from  Strathmiglo,  1697  to  1698;  James 
Grierson,  September  1698  to  May  1710;  John  Cleghorn, 
A.M.,  from  Burntisland,  February  1711  to  July  1744, 
when  he  died,  aged  65  years. 

Harry  Spens,  an  A.M.  of  King's  College,  Aberdeen, 
succeeded  Cleghorn.  He  was  ordained  in  November  1 744, 
had  the  degree  of  D.D.  conferred  upon  him  by  his  Alma 
Mater  in  October  1761,  and  was  elected  Moderator  of  the 
General  Assembly  on  25th  May  1780  by  a  majority  of  112 
votes  against  106  cast  for  Sir  Henry  Moncrieff  of  Well- 
wood,  Bart.  In  October  of  the  same  year  he  was  admitted 
Professor  of  Divinity  in  St  Mary's  College,  St  Andrews, 
and  forthwith  demitted  his  charge  in  Wemyss.  Spens 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  221 

died  in  1787,  aged  73  years.  It  is  125  years  since  Spens 
preached  his  farewell  sermon  in  Wemyss,  and  yet  his 
memory  is  held  in  loving  remembrance  in  the  parish,  be- 
cause of  the  attitude  he  adopted  towards  a  slave  who  had 
come  with  his  master  to  Methil.  [This  incident  was 
referred  to  at  length  under  the  Methil  notes.]  William 
Greenfield,  who  came  to  the  parish  in  September  1781,  had 
only  been  three  years  in  the  district  when  he  was  called  to 
his  native  city,  Edinburgh.  George  Gibb,  the  writer  of  the 
article  on  Wemyss  in  the  "  Old  Statistical  Account  of 
Scotland,"  was  the  next  minister.  He  was  ordained  on 
31st  March  1785,  and  remained  in  Wemyss  until  he  died, 
llth  April  1818.  The  Rev.  John  M'Lauchlan,  who  writes 
on  Wemyss  in  the  "New  Statistical  Account,"  was  pre- 
sented by  the  Town  Council  of  Edinburgh  on  July  1818 
and  admitted  in  February  of  the  following  year.  He  died 
on  13th  February  1850  in  the  65th  year  of  his  age,  and 
37th  of  his  ministry.  Mr  M'Lauchlan  was  succeeded  by 
Mr  Wm.  Poison,  M.A.,  who  laboured  in  the  parish  for  43 
years — from  1850  to  1893.  Mr  Poison's  remains  were 
interred  in  the  cemetery  under  the  shadow  of  the  ruins  of 
the  old  castle  of  the  parish  in  which  he  had  toiled  so  long. 
The  Rev.  John  Kennedy,  the  present  pastor,  was  a 
student  of  Glasgow  and  Edinburgh  Universities,  and  is  an 
M.A.,  B.D.  He  was  licensed  as  a  preacher  by  the  Presby- 
tery of  St  Andrews,  and  in  1892  took  up  duty  as  an 
assistant  in  Kirkcaldy.  Mr  Kennedy  was  ordained  to  the 
parish  of  Wemyss  in  1894. 

The  United  Free  Church. 

The  United  Free  Church  congregation  of  the  village  of 
East  Wemyss  sprang  into  existence  in  connection  with  the 
Disruption  of  1843.     The  church  and  the  manse  stand  on 
o 


222  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIB    AND    WEMYSS. 

the  ground  of  the  "  Haugh,"  with  a  magnificent  view  of 
the  Forth  and  the  southern  shores.  The  "  Haugh "  is 
historic  ground.  In  the  days  of  the  godly  Geo.  Gillespie 
it  formed  the  glebe  of  the  Parish  Church.  In  the  Dis- 
ruption wave  of  1843,  when  difficulties  were  being  ex- 
perienced in  many  parishes  over  the  procuring  of  sites  for 
churches,  Mrs  Swan,  the  mother  of  the  late  ex-Provost 
Swan  of  Kirkcaldy,  proved  a  friend  to  the  newly-formed 
congregation  of  East  Wemyss,  who  first  met  in  a  hay  loft 
above  a  stable.  She  owned  the  "  Haugh,"  and  at  once 
placed  a  site  for  the  church  and  manse  at  the  disposal  of 
the  Dissenters.  Adherents  of  the  cause  led  by  Dr 
Chalmers  joined  the  congregation,  from  Methil  on  the 
east  to  West  Wemyss  on  the  west,  and  when  the  new 
church  was  opened  in  the  summer  of  1844,  the  members 
and  adherents  numbered  as  many  as  600.  The  Rev.  John 
M'Lauchlan,  the  minister  of  the  parish,  chose  to  remain  in 
the  Establishment,  and  the  congregation  called  the  Rev. 
George  F.  Knight,  who  had  for  twelve  years  been  a 
parish  minister  in  Berwickshire.  The  choice  was  an 
exceedingly  happy  one.  Mr  Knight  was  a  man  of 
scholarly  attainments,  and  being  blessed  with  a  store  of 
excellent  health,  he  did  splendid  work  in  the  parish  for 
well  nigh  half  a  century.  The  increasing  burden  of  years 
led  him  to  ask  a  colleague  and  successor  in  the  summer  of 
1881,  and  in  August  of  that  year  a  colleague  in  the  person 
of  the  Rev.  L.  A.  Muirhead,  M.A.,  B.D.,  took  up  duty. 
Mr  Knight  died  in  1891,  and  his  remains  found  a  fitting 
resting  place  in  the  cemetery  of  the  parish  in  which  he  had 
toiled  so  long  and  so  faithfully.  The  stone  which  marks 
his  grave  bears  the  following  inscription  : — 

"  In  memory  of  George  Fulton  Knight,  for  12  years  minister  of 
the  parish  of  Modington,  Berwickshire,  and  for  47  years  minister 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  223 

of  the  Free  Church  of  Wemyss,  Fifeshire.     Born  at   Edinburgh, 
April  1808  ;  died  at  Manchester,  February  1891." 

Mr  Knight  has  a  gifted  family.  Mr  W.  Knight,  St 
Andrews,  professor  and  author,  is  one  of  his  sons;  Rev. 
George  Knight,  of  Glasgow,  is  another,  while  a  third  son 
has  attained  distinction  in  medicine.  Mr  Muirheadwas 
called  to  St  Luke's,  Broughty  Ferry,  in  1893.  He  is  the 
author  of  "  The  Times  of  Christ,"  "  Eschatology  of  Jesus," 
and  other  works,  and  in  March  1905  he  had  the  honorary 
degree  of  D.D.  conferred  upon  him  by  the  University  of  St 
Andrews.  Mr  J.  C.  B.  Geddes,  who  was  an  assistant  in 
Free  St  George's,  Edinburgh,  succeeded  Dr  Muirhead. 
Mr  Geddes  was  ordained  in  May  1893.  He  accepted  a  call 
to  Largs  in  1901.  The  Rev.  R.  H.  Strachan,  M.A.,  was 
ordained  in  June  1901,  and  after  a  ministry  of  three  years 
he  accepted  a  call  to  the  United  Free  Church,  Elie,  which 
is  one  of  the  prizes  in  the  "  Kingdom."  The  Rev.  G.  D. 
Low,  the  present  minister,  was  ordained  to  the  charge  in 
August  1904.  Mr  Low  is  a  graduate  of  Edinburgh  Uni- 
versity. On  leaving  the  Hall  he  went  to  St  Petersburg 
and  laboured  as  an  assistant  in  the  British-American 
Church  there.  On  his  return  to  Scotland,  he  accepted  an 
assistantship  at  Moffat,  and  was  fulfilling  the  duties  of 
assistant  at  Gullane  when  he  was  called  to  East  Wemyss. 

A  Famous  Schoolmaster. 

In  1748,  in  the  days  of  James  fourth  Earl  of  Wemyss, 
and  the  stirring  times  which  followed  the  Rebellion  of 
1745,  John  Grub  was  appointed  schoolmaster  of  the  parish 
school  of  East  Wemyss.  Just  after  his  appointment  Mr 
Grub  had  the  misfortune  to  be  struck  on  one  of  his 
knees  by  a  golf  ball.  A  white  swelling  supervened,  and 
the  schoolmaster  of  Wemyss  was  compelled  to  submit  to  the 


224  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

loss  of  his  leg.  Upon  his  recovery  he  proposed  to  the 
young  lady  who  had  nursed  him  through  his  illness,  was 
accepted,  and  she  proved  a  dutiful  and  loving  wife.  The 
loss  of  a  limb  did  not  impair  Mr  Grub's  usefulness  as  a 
teacher.  Within  a  few  years  his  fame  as  a  teacher  had 
gone  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  parish,  and  in  addition  to  a 
large  attendance  at  the  school,  he  had  many  young  men 
boarders  from,  says  his  biographer,  "  many  respectable 
families  in  different  parts  of  the  country."  In  seven  short 
years  the  school  "  had  risen  to  a  very  great  character  "  and 
was  spoken  of  as  a  "Grammar  School."  In  1755,  when  Mi- 
Grub  was  in  the  height  of  his  fame,  he  was  smitten  down 
by  a  fever  and  died.  He  had  only  seen  thirty  summers. 
His  biographer  says  : — 

"  Mr  Grub's  character  made  his  death  very  much  to  be  re- 
gretted by  all  the  people  of  the  parish  of  Wemyss,  by  all  his 
scholars,  and  by  all  that  knew  him.  Ho  left  behind  him  a  discon- 
solate widow  to  lament  his  death,  and  a  young  son.  His  widow 
afterwards  went  to  the  village  of  Leven,  and  survived  her  husband 
it  is  not  certain  how  many  years  ;  and  Robert  Grub,  their  son,  on 
recommendation,  having  gone  to  settle  in  the  West  Indies,  died  at 
St  Kitts  under  or  about  twenty  years  of  age." 

Mr  Grub  had  many  merits  as  a  teacher.  He  made 
elocution  a  special  feature,  and  his  exhibitions  on  Shrove 
Tuesday  and  at  the  closing  examinations  for  the  harvest 
holidays  became  so  famous  in  the  "  Kingdom  "  that  educa- 
tionists from  all  parts  of  the  district  flocked  to  East 
Wemyss  to  be  present  at  the  "literary  entertainments." 
In  addition  to  teaching  the  pupils  the  "Three  R's,"  Mr 
Grub  prepared  "  orations  "  for  the  higher  classes  on  various 
themes.  The  pupils  got  the  "  orations  "  by  heart,  and  at 
the  harvest  vacation  they  mounted  the  teacher's  desk,  and 
delivered  the  speeches.  Mr  Grub's  custom  was  to  prepare 
three  "orations"  upon  any  specified  subject.  The  first 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  225 

speaker  presented  the  case  for  reform,  or  in  support  of  any 
good  principle,  the  second  presented  a  different  view,  and 
the  third  supported  the  first  speaker.  In  the  three 
"  orations  "  on  "  cock-fighting  "  delivered  on  6th  February 
1753,  we  have  interesting  glimpses  at  the  school  customs 
of  the  eighteenth  century  in  the  parish  of  Wemyss.  In 
the  first  "  oration  "  we  are  told  that  from  time  immemorial 
it  had  been  the  custom  in  Wemyss  to  make  one  day  in  the 
year  remarkable  for  the  inhuman  practice  of  "  bringing 
many  of  the  noblest  of  the  feathered  creation  to  a  lingering 
and  cruel  death."  The  young  orator  in  Wemyss  School 
accordingly  moves  a  motion  to  the  effect  that  although 
cock-fighting  was  riot  so  "  savage  and  barbarous  as  throw- 
ing cocks,"  yet  it  should  be  discouraged  at  our  schools. 
The  pupil  who  replies  argues  strongly  in  favour  of  the 
schoolboys'  "  diversion  on  Fasterns  E'en."  When  a  cock 
fought  well  it,  "  raised  the  noble  ambition  in  youth."  It 
was,  he  further  said,  an  "  old  custom  of  the  school,"  and 
should  be  kept  up.  The  pupil  who  wound  up  the  debate 
argued  for  a  more  noble  diversion  than  that  of  cock- 
fighting,  and  under  Mr  Grub  the  abominable  practice  was 
abolished,  and  in  the  school  of  East  Wemyss  Shrove 
Tuesday  became  as  notable  for  its  "  literary  contests  "  as  it 
had  been  for  cock-fighting. 

Shrove  Tuesday,  it  may  be  interesting  to  state,  was  so 
called  from  being  anciently  associated  with  priestly  absolu- 
tion. The  day  immediately  precedes  the  commencement 
of  Lent,  and  in  Scotland  it  was  known  as  Fasterns  E'en, 
that  is,  Fasting  Eve.  The  mode  of  observing  the  day 
differed  very  much  throughout  Scotland.  At  Stirling  the 
young  people  procured  eggs,  which  in  the  morning  they 
coloured  with  devices,  and  in  the  evening  they  met  in  the 


226  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

fields  and  there  boiled  and  consumed  the  eggs.  In  the 
Border  towns  the  day  is  to  this  day  set  aside  for  hand-ball, 
and  time  was  when  the  married  women  challenged  the 
spinsters  in  a  game  at  football.  In  many  places  cock- 
fighting  was  the  sport  indulged  it.  According  to  Dr 
Rogers,  we  have  the  Duke  of  York  to  thank  for  having  in 
1681  introduced  cock-fighting  into  Scotland.  To  the 
village  schoolroom  every  youth,  from  an  early  period  of  the 
eighteenth  century  to  its  close,  bore  a  cock  which  had 
been  reared  for  the  Fastern  E'en  struggle.  The  school- 
masters presided.  The  birds  which  fell  in  the  conflicts 
were  assigned  to  the  teacher  as  a  perquisite,  and  the  poor 
"  fugies  "  which  refused  to  fight,  and  displayed  more  sense 
than  the  people  who  cast  them  into  the  cockpits,  were  also 
claimed  as  the  master's  property.  Although  Mr  Grub 
succeeded  in  abolishing  cock-fighting  at  East  Wemyss 
school,  the  barbarous  sport  was  continued  by  adults  in  the 
parish,  and  indeed  throughout  Fife,  until  about  the  middle 
of  the  nineteenth  century. 

History  of  the  Linen  Industry. 

Away  back  about  250  years  ago,  almost  every  sub- 
stantial family  in  the  parish  made  a  few  pieces  of  good 
linen  annually  from  yarn  of  their  own  spinning.  Some  of 
the  goods  were  appropriated  for  the  use  of  the  families, 
and  the  surplus  goods  were  sent  to  the  fairs  in  the  parishes 
of  Wemyss  and  Scoonie,  and  there  found  a  ready  market. 
About  1740  there  were  five  fishing  boats  with  five  men  in 
each  at  East  Wemyss.  By  1790  four  of  the  boats  had 
vanished,  and  only  one  was  at  work.  This  was  due  to  the 
fact  that  in  1750  fishing  was  practically  dropped  in  the 
village,  and  the  manufacture  of  linen  became  the  staple 
industry.  That  the  people  of  East  Wemyss  plied  the 


THE    PARISH    OP   WEMY8S.  227 

shuttle  to  some  purpose  will  be  apparent  when  it  is  stated 
that  in  1807,  when  the  Board  of  Trustees  offered  prizes 
for  the  best  and  second  best  raven-duck,  harn-shirting, 
huckaback,  diaper,  and  plain  linen,  quite  an  army  of 
weavers  entered  the  competition  from  the  village  of  East 
Wemyss,  and  as  many  as  five  of  them  carried  off  prizes. 
Noted  as  it  was  for  linen,  only  three  prizes  went  to  Dun- 
fermline,  and  two  to  the  great  city  of  Edinburgh,  whose 
Drumsheugh  works  were  then  known  throughout  Scotland. 
The  decision  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  corroborated  the 
claim  made  in  1790  for  East  Wemyss  linen  by  the  minister 
of  the  parish.  The  Rev.  George  Gibb  says  : — 

"  The  linen  now  made  is  generally  well  known  for  its  quality 
and  fineness.  Most  of  it  is  made  from  Scotch  flax,  the  greatest 
part  of  which  is  spun  in  the  parish.  It  is  thought  by  manu- 
facturers to  be  superior  to  any  in  the  country.  .  .  .  There  are 
about  120  looms  employed." 

Messrs  James  &  George  Johnston  commenced  business 
in  the  village  of  East  Wemyss  in  1828,  and  for  many  years 
they  had  looms  at  work  in  the  parish  of  Wemyss  and 
adjoining  parishes.  Carts  were  sent  round  the  shops  daily 
and  collected  the  goods  as  they  were  cut  from  the  looms. 
The  Messrs  Johnston  soon  built  up  a  splendid  business, 
but  by  1850  "  changing  shadows"  had  begun  to  hang  like 
a  funeral  pall  over  the  handloom  industry.  At  Dunferm- 
line,  at  Dundee,  and  Kirkland  large  handloom  factories 
had  been  built,  and  this  was  doing  away  with  the  system 
of  the  toiler  sitting  at  his  own  loom,  under  his  own  vine 
and  under  his  own  tig  tree,  and  this  system  was  followed 
by  the  introduction  of  the  power-loom.  As  the  power- 
loom  became  perfected,  loom  after  loom  in  the  little  red- 
roofed  shops  was  stopped,  and  by  1858  many  of  the  old 


228  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMY8S. 

weavers  in  Fife  had  begun  to  look  upon  the  fittings  of 
their  shops  as  the  "four  stoops  of  misery."  In  1859  the 
Messrs  Johnston  had  something  like  200  handlooms  at 
work  in  East  Wemyss  and  elsewhere  ;  but  they  were  men 
who  were  fully  alive  to  the  necessity  for  a  change,  and  in 
1860  they  opened  the  power-loom  linen  works  which  are 
situated  on  the  Haugh.  At  first  100  looms  were  set  in 
motion ;  but  as  time  wore  on  an  additional  100  looms 
were  fitted  up.  The  success  of  the  power-loom  gradually 
brought  about  the  annihilation  of  the  hand-loom,  and  the 
loom-shops  of  other  days  have  all  been  turned  into  dwel- 
ling-houses. Mr  George  Johnston  died  in  1874,  and  Mr 
James  Johnston  in  1876.  The  founders  were  succeeded 
by  the  two  sons  of  the  latter,  Mr  James  W.  Johnston  and 
Mr  W.  Russell  Johnston,  and  the  partnership  of  the 
brothers  of  to-day  has  in  every  respect  been  as  happy  as 
that  of  the  founders.  Mr  James  W.  Johnston  is  chairman 
of  the  School  Board  of  the  parish.  He  joined  the 
Volunteers  in  1860,  and  as  Lieutenant,  Captain,  Major, 
and  Lieutenant-Colonel,  he  has  done  as  much  for  the 
citizen  army  movement  in  the  district  as  he  has  done  for 
education.  In  connection  with  the  Volunteer  Review  of 
September  1905  Colonel  Johnston  had  the  honour  of 
having  the  Royal  Victorian  Order  conferred  upon  him  by 
the  King.  Mr  W.  Russell  Johnston  has  represented  the 
Eastern  Division  of  Wemyss  in  the  County  Council  since 
1898,  and  a  splendid  representative  he  makes. 

Mining  in  the  District. 

In  the  olden  time,  when  the  successive  lords  of  the 
manor  carried  on  mining  and  salt-manufacturing  at  West 
Wemyss  and  Methil,  East  Wemyss,  like  Buckhaven, 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  229 

stood  a  village  apart.  Comparatively  few  of  the  residents 
of  East  Wemyss  took  up  raining.  With  the  opening  of 
the  Rosie  pit  of  Muiredge  Colliery,  nearly  twenty  years 
ago,  and  latterly  the  sinking  of  the  Michael  shafts  by 
the  Wemyss  Coal  Company,  the  whole  aspect  of  things 
changed.  Miners  began  to  take  up  residence  in  East 
Wemyss,  and  during  the  past  decade  the  old-world  village 
has  been  completely  surrounded  by  new  houses.  The 
population  of  the  village  had  risen  from  1010  in  1891  to 
2522  in  1901,  and  a  census  to-day  would  show  a  popula- 
tion of  at  least  3000  souls. 

The  Brewery. 

Time  was  when  ale  was  the  general  drink  of  the 
people  of  Scotland,  and  in  the  royal  burghs  and  burghs 
of  barony  there  were  no  more  prosperous  class  than  the 
brewers.  From  time  immemorial  there  has  been  a  brewery 
at  East  Wemyss.  Mr  Gibb,  writing  in  1794,  says : — 

"  A  gentleman  in  East  Wemyss,  who  carries  on  a  considerable 
brewery,  lately  began  to  import  wood  from  the  Baltic,  which  has 
been  a  great  advantage  to  the  neighbourhood." 

Like  the  fishing  arid  the  handloom  industries,  the  im- 
portation of  wood  at  East  Wemyss  has  ceased,  but  the 
brewery  still  remains.  Nearly  100  years  ago  it  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Eddington  family,  and  70  years  ago  the 
brewery  was  acquired  by  two  brothers,  James  and  George 
Brown,  the  one  taking  up  duty  at  East  Wemyss  and  the 
other  at  Leven.  In  the  hands  of  the  two  brothers  the 
businesses  increased,  and  the  sparkling  Wemyss  ales 
became  famous  in  and  outside  the  county  of  Fife.  The 
remains  of  the  founders  of  the  firm  of  70  years  ago  lie  in 
the  cemetery  which  overlooks  the  brewery,  but  as  a  firm 


230  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

J.  &  G.  Brown  still  exists,  the  business  being  carried  on 
at  Wemyss  and  Leven  by  Mr  George  Brown,  sen.,  and  Mr 
George  Brown,  jun.,  a  son  and  grandson  of  one  of  the 
founders.  The  brewers  of  to-day  have  recently  made 
considerable  extensions  to  the  buildings,  and  despite  the 
keen  competition  of  the  times  the  Wemyss  ale  still  holds 
its  own  in  the  market. 

The  Hall  and  the  Reading=Room. 

Undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  interesting  modern 
buildings  in  the  village  is  the  hall  and  reading-room. 
One  of  the  young  orators  of  Mr  John  Grub,  the  famous 
eighteenth  century  teacher,  speaking  in  East  Wemyss 
school  at  the  Shrove  Tuesday  demonstration  of  February 
1753  to  the  parents  of  the  village,  says  : — 

"I  lay  hold  of  this  opportunity,  in  the  name  of  all  my  school- 
fellows, to  return  you  our  most  hearty  thanks  for  your  generosity 
in  contributing  last  year  in  so  handsome  a  manner  for  a  public 
library  to  our  school." 

The  library  established  in  1752  in  the  village  was 
appreciated  by  the  parents  as  well  as  the  children,  and 
the  demand  for  books  among  the  handloom  weavers  was 
such  that  in  1817  a  subscription  library  was  founded.  A 
tradesmen's  library  was  opened  in  1830.  In  1859  a  reading 
room  was  opened,  and  in  this  room  the  books  of  the  other 
libraries  were  ultimately  brought  together.  The  old  read- 
ing-room had  completely  burst  its  bounds  in  the  early 
nineties,  and  the  late  Dr  Edward  A.  Watson  commenced 
an  agitation  for  the  erection  of  a  public  hall,  library,  and 
recreation  rooms.  The  old  reading-room  was  deserted  in 
November  1900,  and  the  new  building  taken  possession 
of.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  an  inscription  on  a  marble 
tablet  in  the  hall : — 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  231 

"  Erected  by  public  subscription,  in  grateful  recognition  of  the 
professional  ability  and  public  services  of  Edward  A.  Watson, 
M.D.,  for  28  years  physician  in  Wemyss  Parish.  Born  8th  May 
1837  ;  died  5th  March  1897." 

It  was  chiefly  by  his  efforts  that  funds  were  attained  for 
the  erection  of  the  hall. 


THE  BURGH  OF  BARONY  OF  WEST  WEMYSS. 

Writing  in  1859,  Farnie  says : — "West  Wemyss  is  a 
burgh  of  barony,  and  is  governed  by  two  bailies,  a  trea- 
surer, and  a  council."  The  town  still  prides  itself  on  being 
a  burgh  of  barony,  and  in  possessing  magistrates ;  but  in 
recent  years  the  old  Council  has  been  gradually  stripped  of 
its  powers,  and  the  bodies  responsible  for  the  government 
of  West  Wemyss  are  the  Fife  County  Council,  Wemyss 
School  Board,  and  Wemyss  Parish  Council. 

As  time  passes,  the  tendency  is  to  move  the  coal  works 
eastwards,  and  while  East  Wemyss,  Buckhaven,  and  the 
Methil  of  other  days  are  being  surrounded  by  new  towns, 
the  streets  of  "  Barncraig "  remain  much  as  they  were  a 
century  ago.  The  Windy  Wynd,  the  Haw  Head,  the 
Cox'el,  arid  the  Poun's  are  still  with  us,  and  at  one  or 
other  of  the  respective  rendezvous  g?-oups  of  residents 
gather  as  in  days  of  yore  and  discuss  the  local  and 
imperial  problems  of  the  day.  As  in  the  days  when 
Gabriel  Setoun  wrote  "  Barncraig,"  women  emerge  from 
their  doorways  and  "sincl"  their  teapots,  and  on  the 
Saturdays  the  outside  stairs  and  the  doorsteps  are  as 
much  scrubbed  and  "sanded"  for  the  Sunday  as  they 
were  a  century  ago. 

In  1791  the  population  of  West  Wemyss  was  769 — 
209  more  than  East  Wemyss,  169  more  than  Buckhaven, 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMY88.  233 

and  more  than  the  double  of  Methil.     The  following  table 
shows  the  census  of  the  old  hurgh  from  1821  : — 

1821  502  1871  •         1231 

1831  858  1881  -         1206 

1841  947  1891                           1300 

1851  1013  1901  -         1253 

1861  -         ^1128 

When  created  a  Barony  Burgh. 

David  of  Wemyss  received  the  honour  of  knighthood 
in  1510,  and  the  following  year  King  James  IV.  erected 
the  lands  of  West  Wemyss  into  the  barony  of  Wemyss. 
The  charter  gave  power  to  constitute  the  haven  town  of 
Wemyss  as  a  burgh  under  the  lords  of  the  manor.  In 
1515,  Sir  David  granted  the  burgesses  the  usual  privileges 
of  a  burgh  of  the  olden  time,  and  among  the  privileges 
enumerated  were  two  fairs  a  year,  one  on  2nd  July  and 
the  other  on  20th  October.  The  Castle  of  Wemyss  was 
ordained  to  be  the  principal  messuage  of  the  barony  of 
Wemyss. 

In  1589,  James  VI.  confirmed  the  barony  of  Wemyss 
in  favour  of  John  Wemyss,  eldest  son  of  David  Wemyss 
of  that  ilk,  enlarging  the  barony  so  as  to  include  the 
other  lands  which  had  been  acquired  in  1511.  In  1630 
Sir  John  Wemyss  acquired  the  barony  of  East  Wemyss, 
and  in  1651,  in  the  days  of  Charles  II.,  David  second 
Earl  of  Wemyss  obtained  a  charter  erecting  the  baronies 
of  East  Wemyss,  West  Wemyss,  and  Methil  into  the 
barony  of  Wemyss,  with  the  tower,  fortalice,  and  manor- 
place  of  Wemyss  as  the  principal  messuage  of  the  whole. 
This  charter  was  ratified  by  the  King  and  Parliament  in 
1661.  The  reinstatement  of  the  bishops  brought  changes, 
however,  and  for  some  time  Methil  was  separated  from 


234  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

the  barony  of  Wemyss,  and  under  a  charter  granted  by 
Archbishop  Sharpe  enjoyed  a  species  of  home  rule.  After 
the  Revolution  another  Act  affecting  Wemyss  was  passed, 
and  in  1711,  in  the  days  of  David  third  Earl  of  Wemyss 
the  three  baronies  were  included  in  one  holding  to  such 
an  extent  that  one  sasine  taken  at  the  manor-place  of 
West  Wemyss  or  upon  any  part  of  the  Wemyss  lands 
sufficed  for  the  whole. 

The  Tolbooth. 

In  1592  West  Wemyss  ranked  among  the  burghs  along 
the  shores  of  the  Forth  as  a  place  where  proclamation 
might  be  made  at  its  market  cross  of  an  Act  warning 
seamen  and  others  against  the  killing  of  solan  geese  upon 
the  Bass  Rock.  The  burgh  had  its  tolbooth  where  the 
lord  of  the  manor  held  his  baronial  courts  and  meted  out 
justice  to  offenders.  Sir  William  Fraser  points  out,  how- 
ever, that  serious  cases  were  sometimes  disposed  of  by 
friendly  arbitration  outside  the  walls  of  the  tolbooth,  and 
he  gives  an  illustration  by  giving  the  details  connected 
with  the  "hushing  up"  of  one  offence.  In  March  1586-7 
the  burgh  was  thrown  into  a  terrible  state  of  consterna- 
tion and  excitement.  A  burgess  named  James  Skadowie 
had  in  the  course  of  a  quarrel  struck  a  resident  named 
William  Ferrar.  Ferrar  died  from  the  blow.  Skadowie 
had  only  acted  in  self-defence,  and  on  his  agreeing  to 
pay  compensation  to  the  relatives  of  the  dead  man  the 
"mother  and  rest  of  kin"  agreed  to  forgive  and  "remit 
the  slaughter."  A  document  embodying  the  agreement 
was  drawn  up,  and  was  attested  by  a  bailie  of  the  burgh 
and  others. 

In  1666  West  Wemyss  was  a  burgh  which  was  allowed 
to  hold  six  annual  fairs  a  year  and  a  weekly  market  on 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS. 


235 


the  Fridays.  About  1590  the  burgh  attained  to  an  un- 
fortunate notoriety  among  the  seaport  towns  of  Scotland. 
It  was  the  doorway  by  which  the  country  experienced  a 
new  visit  of  the  plague.  The  plague  had  been  raging  in 
England.  An  infected  English  barque  entered  the  harbour 
of  West  Wemyss,  and  in  a  short  time  the  plague  was 


MiUiicen] 


The  Tolbooth,   Wemyss. 


[Kirkcaldy 


ravaging  the  residents  of   the  burghs  and  villages  along 
the  whole  coast  of  the  "  Kingdom." 


236  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND     WEMYSS. 

The  Remains  of  St  Mary's  Chapel. 

The  history  of  the  ivy-clad  ruins  of  the  Lady  Chapel 
in  the  Chapel  Gardens,  which  have  now  become  the  last 
resting-place  of  the  Wemyss  family,  goes  back  to  the  days 
when  the  monks  of  Dunferinliue  were  getting  coals  in  the 
"  heughs "  of  Pittencrieff  and  distributing  the  "  black 
stanes"  among  the  poor  at  the  church  doors.  In  1536 
Sir  Patrick  Jackson  was  chaplain  of  Sc  Mary's  Chapel  at 
Wester  Wemyss.  Sir  Patrick  spent  £1000  on  the  chapel 
and  manse,  and  the  laird  of  Wemyss  in  consequence  be- 
stowed on  the  chapel  certain  lands.  The  chapel  had 
a  saltpan  and  a  dovecot  attached  to  it,  and  the  laird 
granted  free  coals  to  the  chapel  pan.  After  the  Reforma- 
tion the  old  ohapel  was  deserted  as  a  place  of  worship, 
and  when  David  Lord  Elcho  was  married  to  the  Hon. 
Anna  Balfour  (Burley),  on  February  1627,  the  Master  and 
his  young  wife  took  up  residence  at  the  chapel.  They  lived 
in  the  chapel  for  twelve  years  The  Master  spent  £200  in 
laying  out  the  gardens,  which  are  prettily  situated.  The 
house  to  the  west  of  the  chapel  was  built  by  Admiral 
Wemyss,  and  was  for  many  years  the  residence  of  the  late  Mi- 
Thomas  Eyewater,  manager  of  Wemyss  colliery. 

A  Glimpse  at  the  Town  of  To-day. 

The  tolbooth,  with  its  Dutch-looking  steeple,  is  the 
most  striking  building  in  Barncraig.  The  old  school  has 
been  transformed  into  dwelling-houses,  and  the  teachers 
now  labour  in  the  Dorothy  School,  of  modern  date,  which 
stands  on  the  crest  of  the  hill  beyond  Church  Street.  The 
church,  built  nearly  seventy  years  ago  by  Lady  Emma  Hay, 
the  wife  of  Admiral  Wemyss,  is  now  a  gymnasium.  The 
Rev.  John  Thomson,  who  died  in  September  1905,  aged  71 


THE    PARISH    OF   WEMYSS.  237 

years,  preached  the  last  sermon  in  the  old  church  on 
Sunday,  2nd  November  1895,  and  on  the  following 
Sunday  pastor  and  congregation  took  possession  of  the 
new  church,  which  stands  on  a  site  in  what  was  once 
known  as  West  Wemyss  Cemetery,  and  which  takes  the 
name  of  St  Adrian's  Church.  The  cemetery  was  the  gift 
of  the  Wemyss  family,  and  Mr  Wemyss,  the  present 
laird,  defrayed  the  cost  of  the  church— £2200.  The 
church  is  seated  for  600  people,  and  is  comfortably  filled 
every  Sunday. 

The  late  Rev.  J.  Thomson  was  a  native  of  the  little  parish 
of  Muckhart.  He  laid  the  foundation  of  his  education  at 
the  village  school  of  Muckhart,  and  afterwards  studied  at 
Dollar  Academy.  At  Dollar  Mr  Thomson  was  a  dis- 
tinguished student,  and  maintained  the  high  level  at  the 
University  of  Edinburgh,  where  he  graduated  with 
honours.  In  1867,  just  three  years  after  the  lamented 
death  of  Mr  James  Hay  Erskine  Wemyss,  Mr  Thomson 
took  up  residence  in  WTest  Wemyss  as  the  catechist  under 
the  deed  of  mortification  (1705)  by  the  Earl  of  Cromarty, 
who  was  married  to  the  Countess  of  Wemyss.  Mr  Thom- 
son's qualifications  as  a  scholar  commended  themselves  to 
the  Wemyss  family,  and  he  became  tutor  in  the  family, 
forming  a  friendship  which  was  maintained  to  the  day  of 
his  death.  In  1874  Mr  Thomson  was  ordained  as  the  pastor 
of  West  Wemyss  Established  Church,  and  a  year  after- 
wards the  church  was  endowed  and  was  raised  from  the 
position  of  a  mission  station  to  that  of  a  quoad  sacra. 

During  the  past  year  some  of  the  red-roofed  buildings, 

which  were  occupied  at  one  time  by  salters,  at  the  east 

end  of  Church  Street,  have  disappeared,  and  have  given 

place  to  a  handsome  gateway  which  forms   the   western 

P 


238  BAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

entrance  to  Wemyss  Castle.  On  the  shore  one  seeks  in 
vain  for  the  site  of  the  Old  Engine  pit,  or  the  sites  of  the 
seven  saltpans  which  were  in  operation  in  1790.  The 
complete  effacement  of  the  old  hives  of  industry  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  the  shore  has  been  undermined  by  the  coal 
workings  of  comparatively  recent  times,  and  has  fallen  to 
such  a  level  that  the  sea  now  claims  considerable  stretches 
of  the  sandy  beach  on  which  the  children  of  fifty  years 
ago  spent  many  pleasant  hours.  The  Victoria  pit  is  still 
in  operation,  but  the  Lady  Emma,  which  adjoins  it,  is 
deserted  and  dismantled.  The  old  fittings  are  depressing 
to  look  at,  and  the  stranger  seeks  in  vain  for  the  salt 
girnel  which  at  one  time  formed  the  distributing  house 
for  salt,  and  latterly  for  an  abounding  charity. 

The  Harbour,  Past  and  Present. 

In  1510,  when  West  Wemyss  was  erected  into  a  burgh 
of  barony,  it  was  written  of  as  the  "  Haven  town  of 
Wemyss."  In  1565,  when  Queen  Mary  married  Darnley, 
the  laird  of  Wemyss  was  appointed  keeper  of  the  havens 
of  West  Wemyss  and  East  Wemyss  for  the  intercepting 
of  enemies  to  the  King  and  Queen.  The  Rev.  George  Gibb, 
writing  about  1790,  states  that  the  harbour  was  a  good  one, 
and  tells  us  that  some  years  previously  it  had  been  greatly 
improved  by  a  basin  for  cleaning  it  having  been  con- 
structed. Much  as  it  was  improved  in  Mr  Gibb's  time, 
it  was  found  to  be  inadequate  for  the  Wemyss  coal  trade 
in  the  late  Mrs  Wemyss'  time,  and  in  1870  she  had  a 
wet  dock  constructed.  The  dock  completely  changed  the 
whole  aspect  of  things  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Victoria  and 
the  Lady  Emma  pits. 

Farnie   thus   writes   of    East   and   West    Wemyss : — 
'  Although  in  closer  contiguity  to  the  Castle  than  East 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  239 

Wemyss,  the  grimy  burgh  of  barony  is  not  the  holiday 
pride  of  the  people  of  the  parish.  No ;  West  Wemyss  is 
useful,  East  Wemyss  is  ornamental."  Before  many  years 
have  elapsed,  Barncraig  will  have  become  the  ornamental 
town.  Coals  have  been  gotten  along  the  "  golden  fringe  " 
from  the  Chapel  Gardens  to  the  site  of  the  old  salt  works 
for  500  years.  The  workable  seams  are  now  getting 
exhausted.  In  1904  operations  were  suspended  at  the 


Milliken]  [Kirkcaldy 

West  Wemyss  Harbour. 

Lady  Emma  pit,  and  the  area  of  coal  still  to  work  from 
the  Victoria  is  so  much  restricted  that  the  steam  will  be 
permanently  blown  off  in  a  comparatively  few  years, 

In  the  days  when  Sir  John  Wemyss  of  Reres  and 
Wemyss  and  the  lairds  who  immediately  succeeded  him 
tabernacled  in  the  district,  the  seagulls  and  wild  ducks 
had  undisputed  possession  of  the  bay  between  the  bold  red 


240  RAMBLES     IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

rocks  on  which  the  Castle  stands  and  the  ancient  chapel 
which  was  the  residence  of  the  vicar  of  Wemyss.  When 
the  last  cage  has  been  drawn  in  the  Victoria  pit,  and  we 
are  left  with  only  the  echoes  of  the  old  cries,  "Bend  up" 
and  "  Chap  two  and  hang  the  hammer,"  the  sea  birds 
which  haunt  the  shores  of  the  old  haven  town  and  the 
town  of  Dysart  will  again  take  possession  of  the  bay. 
And  so  at  every  turn  in  this  age  of  change  and  decay  we 
have  history  repeating  itself. 

Shipbuilding. 

In  1784,  when  the  coals  raised  in  Fife  were  carried  to 
the  Baltic  ports  and  the  Mediterranean  in  small  ships, 
the  people  of  West  Wemyss  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
what  could  be  done  at  Dysart  could  also  be  done  at  Barn- 
craig,  and  a  shipbuilding  yard  was  opened.  In  1790  a 
good  many  journeymen  and  eighteen  apprentices  were  at 
work,  and  Mr  Gibb  says  that  some  of  "  the  best  vessels 
which  have  sailed  from  the  Firth  of  Forth  for  the  West 
Indies  have  been  built,  as  well  as  some  for  the  Baltic 
trade."  Despite  this  testimonial  given  to  the  shipbuilders 
of  West  Wemyss,  the  industry  did  not  linger  long,  and 
the  buildings  which  formed  the  offices  of  the  shipbuilders 
were  appropriated  for  workshops  connected  with  the 
colliery  and  salt  industries. 

The  Salt  Works. 

Salt  was  manufactured  at  West  Wemyss  in  the  four- 
teenth century.  In  1790  there  were  as  many  as  seven 
saltpans  in  operation ;  but  in  1 836  there  was  only  one 
pan  in  use.  In  1836,  1837,  and  1838  the  annual  average 
of  salt  made  was  6208  bushels,  representing  a  value  of 
£470.  In  1818,  1819,  and  1820  the  annual  average 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS  241 

quantity  of  salt  made  at  West  Wemyss  and  Methil  was 
50,400  bushels.  In  1814  the  customs  dues  on  salt  exported 
from  Methil  harbour  alone  amounted  to  nearly  £10,000. 
Mr  M'Lauchlan  says : — "  The  salt  made  at  Wemyss  is 
excellent,  and  finds  a  ready  market."  The  salt  was  all 
that  Mr  M'Lauchlan  claimed  for  it ;  but  the  abolition  of 
the  tax  and  changes  in  the  mode  of  manufacture  of  salt 
brought  about  a  competition  which  ended  in  the  closing 
of  the  works  at  West  Wemyss,  and  for  many  years  the 
bucket  pat  has  been  an  institution  known  only  to  the 
older  residents. 

Coaltown  of  Wemyss. 

The  old  red-roofed  village  of  the  Coaltown  of  Wemyss, 
which  lies  about  a  mile  to  the  north  of  West  Wemyss,  has 
recently  been  surrounded  by  modern  houses,  and  the  popu- 
lation has  been  added  to  considerably.  In  1891  the 
population  was  381 ;  in  1901  it  was  731.  The  old  school- 
room has  been  converted  into  a  reading  room,  and  through 
the  kindness  of  Mr  Wemyss  and  Lady  Eva  Wemyss  a 
bowling  green  was  opened  upwards  of  a  year  ago.  During 
the  summer  and  autumn  months  the  miners  spend  a  good 
deal  of  time  on  the  bowling  green,  and  in  the  long  winter 
months  the  reading  room  is  an  attraction  for  old  and 
young  in  the  village. 

A  Peep  at  the  Parish  in  1790  and  1838. 

Writing  in  1790  and  1838  the  ministers  of  the  parish 
give  us  some  interesting  glimpses  at  the  institutions  and 
customs  of  other  days.  Mr  Gibb  tells  us,  for  instance, 
that,  with  the  exception  of  a  brewer  and  a  wood  merchant, 
there  were  no  merchants  in  the  parish.  Some  persons,  he 
says,  sold  a  small  quantity  of  necessary  articles.  Hawkers 
came  from  Kirkcaldy  and  sold  at  a  cheaper  rate,  however, 


242  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

and  the  poor  vendors  of  the  "necessary  articles"  in 
Wemyss  met  with  little  or  no  encouragement.  Beef  was 
then.  4d  to  5|d  per  lb.,  and  eggs  sold  at  from  3d  to  5d  per 
dozen.  But  really  things  required  to  be  cheap.  Day 
labourers  only  earned  Is  2d  per  day  from  March  to 
October,  and  Is  for  the  rest  of  the  year,  while  masons 
were  paid  Is  Sd  and  wrights  Is  6d.  Yet  Mr  Gibb  con- 
cludes his  report  with  these  words: — "The  people  in 
genera]  are  regular  in  their  attendance  upon  public  wor- 
ship, and  apparently  contented  with  their  situations." 
He  also  gives  us  a  peep  at  how  the  poor  in  these  days 
were  maintained.  He  tells  us  that  39  poor  people  re- 
ceived from  Is  to  2s  6d  per  month,  while  others  were 
made  the  recipients  of  an  occasional  gift  of  5s.  The  total 
raised  for  the  poor  was  from  £50  to  £60.  The  money 
came  from  weekly  collections  at  the  church,  the  interest 
of  £100,  and  the  dues  of  the  mort-cloth.  In  1833  General 
Wemyss  contributed  £60  towards  the  poor  fund,  and  with 
church  and  other  collections  the  total  was  raised  to 
£120  Us  3|d.  Of  this  total  £101  9s  was  spent. 

Mr  Gibb  complains  bitterly  of  the  want  of  a  post-office 
in  1790.  In  1838  there  was  still  no  post-office  in  the 
parish,  but  Mr  M'Lachlan  seems  to  think  that  the  want 
was  not  then  felt,  because  there  "  was  a  runner  or  post-boy 
from  Kirkcaldy  to  Leven  every  morning  and  again  from 
Leven  to  Kirkcaldy  in  the  afternoon."  In  a  chapter  on 
the  "Habits  and  Character  of  the  People,"  Mr  M'Lachlan 
concludes  thus: — "The  people  as  a  body  have  long  been 
distinguished  for  their  quietness  and  general  good  conduct, 
and  may  justly  be  said  to  be  an  industrious,  contented, 
decent,  and  church-going  population." 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS. 


243 


The  Catechist  of  Wemyss  Parish. 

In  1705  the  Earl  of  Cromartie  made  arrangements 
with  sculptors  to  erect  life-sized  effigies  of  the  late  Countess 
of  Wemyss.  It  was  found,  however,  that  the  burial 
ground  at  Wemyss  did  not  admit  of  a  tomb  being  erected, 
and  in  place  of  the  proposed  monument  the  Earl,  as  a 
token  of  affection  and  honour  to  her  memory,  mortified  to 
the  church  of  Wemyss  the  annual  sum  of  one  hundred 
merks  Scots  to  found  a  salary  for  a  catechist  to  instruct 
the  miners  and  salters  of  Wemyss  in  the  method  of  cate- 
chising in  their  families.  There  was  no  catechising  for  a 
period  of  years  in  the  eighteenth  century,  and  the  capital 
increased  to  such  an  extent  that  the  annual  payment  is 
now  £64  14s.  By  the  death  of  Mr  Thomson,  the  minister 
of  the  church  of  West  Wemyss,  the  post  of  catechist  is  at 
present  vacant. 


EDUCATIONAL  HISTORY. 

In  the  parish  of  Wemyss  educational  progress  in  the 
past  quarter  of  a  century  has  kept  pace  with  the  industrial 
changes.  Writing  on  the  "  Educational  State  of  the 
Parish  "  in  1790,  the  Rev.  G.  Gibb  says  :-— 

"  The  schoolmaster's  salary  in  the  Parish  School  at  East 
Wemyss  is  £6  13s  4d.  The  number  of  scholars  in  winter  is  about 
60  and  in  summer  40.  The  fees  per  quarter  are,  for  English,  Is  2d  ; 
English  and  writing,  Is  6d  ;  arithmetic,  2s  ;  Latin,  2s  6d ;  book- 
keeping and  navigation,  a  guinea  each.  As  precentor  and  session 
clerk  he  has  yearly  £2  10s,  and  12s  6d  every  time  the  Lord's 
Supper  is  dispensed  ;  for  each  marriage  2s  3d,  and  each  baptism 
lOd,  for  parochial  certificates  a  guinea  a  year." 

The  statistics  anent  the  attendance  cast  some  light  on 
the  customs  of  the  times.  The  attendance  in  the  winter 
was  60  and  in  summer  it  was  40,  and  from  this  it  may  be 
inferred  that  a  considerable  number  of  the  children  were 
taken  from  the  school  in  the  summer  months. 

The  next  authentic  report  on  education  in  Wemyss  is 
from  the  pen  of  the  Rev.  John  M'Lauchlan,  in  1838. 
The  parish  made  enormous  strides  between  1790  and  1838. 
The  population  had  increased  from  3050  to  5215,  and  Mr 
M'Lauchlan  tells  us  that  in  addition  to  the  parish  school 
at  East  Wemyss  there  were  six  other  schools.  The 
teacher,  who  was  a  licentiate  of  the  church,  had  a  maxi- 
mum salary  of  £34  4s  4|d  a  year,  and  £1  15s  7|d  "for 
the  want  of  the  legal  quantity  of  garden  ground."  He 
was  also  session  clerk,  the  perquisites  of  which  averaged 
£20  a  year.  The  school  fees  amounted  to  £25.  Mr 
M'Lauchlan  proceeds : — 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  245 

"  All  the  common  branches  are  taught  here,  as  also  Latin, 
French,  and  mathematics.  There  are  six  other  schools  in  the 
parish,  all  endowed  except  the  school  at  Kirkland,  which  is 
partially  endowed,  as  the  company,  besides  the  school  fees,  gives 
£30  a  year  by  way  of  salary.  Nearly  800  young  persons  are 
receiving  instruction  in  various  branches  of  education  ;  and  if  there 
are  any  in  the  parish  under  15  years  of  age  or  above  10  who  cannot 
read,  the  fault  lies  with  the  parents.  There  is  an  educational 
machinery  in  motion  which  is  not  surpassed  in  any  parish  ;  and  all 
the  teachers,  seven  in  number,  are  distinguished  for  their  zeal  and 
efficiency,  and  diligence  and  success." 

The  zeal  and  diligence  of  the  teachers  were  not  ap- 
preciated to  the  extent  which  they  might  have  been,  and 
in  1840  we  find  Mr  Andrew  Hutton,  the  teacher  of  East 
Wemyss,  giving  evidence  as  follows  before  the  Parlia- 
mentary Commission  appointed  to  enquire  into  child 
labour  in  mines  : — 

"The  fee  is  4d  a  week  for  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic; 
but  very  few  go  the  length  of  the  arithmetic,  and  many  not  more 
than  reading.  .  .  .  They  are  taken  down  the  pit  early  and 
don't  return  to  school." 

Mr  Thomas  Eyewater,  the  manager  of  Wemyss  colliery, 
explained  what  going  down  the  pit  "  early  "  meant.  Mr 
Eyewater  says  : — "  By  a  rule  of  this  colliery  no  boy  should 
be  taken  below  until  he  is  ten  years  old.  On  special 
occasions  this  rule  is  relaxed  by  the  men  themselves." 
Mr  Eyewater  explained  that  the  education  of  boys  who 
were  dragged  down  the  mines  at  a  very  early  date  was 
often  neglected.  By  the  Act  of  1842  boys  were  prevented 
from  entering  the  mines  before  they  had  reached  ten  years 
of  age,  and  from  the  date  of  the  passing  of  the  Act  at- 
tendance began  to  improve.  Mr  Eyewater's  evidence  in 
1844  before  the  Commissioners  appointed  to  inquire  into 
the  working  of  the  statute  showed  progress.  He  then 


246  RAMBLES    IN   SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

stated  that  the  school  fees  exacted  at  the  pay  table  were 
compulsory  on  all  who  worked,  with  the  exception  of  the 
men  who  resided  in  West  Wemyss,  where  the  authority 
of  the  school  was  divided.  Captain  Wemyss  provided  all 
books,  &c.,  for  the  use  of  the  schools.  "  We  have,"  he 
said,  "  well-trained  masters  and  a  sewing  school  for  girls." 
The  improvement  here  indicated  was  fully  maintained 
during  the  fifties  and  the  sixties,  and  in  1873,  when  the 
School  Board  came  into  existence,  Wemyss  parish  was  well 
off  for  schools,  and  what  is  more,  the  schools  were  being 
taken  advantage  of  to  a  really  gratifying  extent.  Here  is 
a  notice  showing  the  names  of  the  respective  schools,  the 
teaching  staff  and  the  attendance  :  — 


SCHOOLS.  TEACHERS. 

Or»    I  in  I.I,. 

Parish  School,  East  Wemyss,    -         -     1  male,  1  female,  142 

F.C.  School,         ,,  ,,         -         -     1  male,  1  female,  110 

Madras  School,  Buckhaven,       -         -     1  male,  1  female,  250 

Links  School,  ,,  -         -     1  male,  1  female,  174 

West  Wemyss  Colliery  School,          -     1  male,  130 

Coaltown  Colliery  School,          -         -     1  male,  94 
Buckhaven  (Miss  Mitchell's  Private 

School),       -        -  -        -     1  female  80 

Crossroads,  Kirkland  Public  School,     1  male,  1  female,  250 

Totals,  13  1230 

Table  showing  the  scholars,  the  teaching  staff,  and  the 
number  of  pupils  in  attendance  to-day  :  — 


SCHOOLS.  TEACHERS. 

ON  ROLL. 

Buckhaven  Higher  Grade  School,     -  27  1069 

Methil  Public  School,       ...  21  876 

Wemyss  Public  School,     ...  14  618 

Crossroads  Public  School,  10  511 

Coaltown  Public  School,  5  255 

Dorothy  Public  School,     -  6  231 

Totals,         ....  83  3560 


THE    PARISH    OF   WEMYSS.  247 

The  present  Buckhaven  Higher  Grade  School  is  now 
what  was  formerly  known  as  the  Madras  School,  and  was, 
extended  first,  in  1875  at  a  cost  of  £840,  in  1882  at  a  cost 
of  £350,  in  1885  at  a  cost  of  £700,  and  again  in  1892  at  a 
cost  of  £2400.  The  school  was  the  first  in  Scotland  to  be 
recognised  as  a  Higher  Grade  Public  School.  The  school 
originally  took  the  name  "  Madras "  because  it  partici- 
pated in  the  Madras  scholarships  founded  by  the  late  Dr 
Andrew  Bell,  of  St  Andrews  and  Madras.  Mr  Ross,  the 
headmaster  of  the  school,  began  life  as  a  pupil  teacher  at 
Dysart.  He  studied  in  Edinburgh,  and  in  1886  was 
doing  duty  as  classical  master  in  one  of  the  academies  of 
the  "  Second  City  "  when  appointed  to  Buckhaven.  The 
Links  School  of  Buckhaven  was  opened  in  1810  as  an 
adventure  school  by  the  Associate  congregation.  The 
Kirkland  Crossroads  School  was  built  in  1875.  The  sum 
expended  on  the  original  building  was  £840.  An  exten- 
sion was  made  in  1887  at  a  cost  of  £1200.  Mr  George 

O 

Masterton  has  occupied  the  position  of  headmaster  since  the 
school  was  opened.  East  Wemyss  Public  School,  the  infant 
department  of  which  is  the  old  parish  school,  was  extended 
in  1890  at  a  cost  of  £800. .  The  present  senior  department 
was  erected  in  1901,  £2600  being  expended.  Mr  James 
Cassells,  the  headmaster,  is  a  Wemyss  man.  He  received 
his  early  education  at  West  Wemyss  and  Dysart,  and  was 
appointed  headmaster  at  Coal  town  in  1878.  He  was 
transferred  to  East  Wemyss  in  1903.  Methil  Public 
School  was  erected  in  1893,  at  a  cost  of  £2700.  The 
building  was  extended  in  1902,  when  nearly  £5000  was 
spent.  Mr  William  Ness,  who  has  been  headmaster  since 
the  school  was  opened,  fulfilled  the  duties  of  an  assistant 
in  Buckhaven  Higher  Grade  School  before  his  appointment 
to  Methil.  The  school  at  Coaltown  of  Wemyss  and  the 


248  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE   AND    WEMYSS. 

Dorothy  School  at  West  Wemyss  were  erected  in  1896, 
and  cost  together  £7600.  Mr  David  Wallace  has  occupied 
the  post  of  headmaster  since  1897,  when  he  was  trans- 
ferred from  West  Wemyss.  He  was  succeeded  at  West 
Wemyss  by  Mr  David  H.  Lindsay,  who  had  held  an 
assistantship  in  Buckhaven  Higher  Grade  School  for 
several  years.  The  building  of  new  schools  in  every  part 
of  the  parish  has  thrown  a  great  amount  of  work  on  the 
respective  School  Boards.  The  Boards  have  been  made 
up  of  men  who  have  been  fired  with  zeal  for  the  cause, 
however,  and  the  schools  of  Wemyss  parish  to-day  will 
compare  favourably  with  the  schools  of  any  parish  in 
Scotland.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  gentlemen  who 
have  occupied  the  chair  since  the  passing  of  the  Education 
Act  :— 

Joseph  Budge,  1873  to  1879  ;  James  W.  Johnston,  1879  to  1882 ; 
R.  G.  E.  Wemyss,  1882  to  1891  ;  Rev.  William  M'Ghie,  1891  to 
1894  ;  James  W.  Johnston,  1894  to  1905. 

Mr  A.  Watson  Taylor,  who  was  trained  in  Dundee, 
was  appointed  clerk  in  1899.  Mr  Taylor  is  also  clerk  to 
the  Parish  Council. 

(iolf  in  the  Parish. 

Puffing  pits,  large  redd  bings,  and  railway  sidings 
operated  sadly  against  the  amenties  of  the  historic  golf 
links  by  the  "  Glass  Cove"  and  "  Lady  Rock,"  at  Wemyss, 
and  for  some  years  after  the  opening  of  the  Michael  pits 
golf  ceased  to  be  one  of  the  popular  games  of  either  East 
or  West  Wemyss.  The  first  competition  held  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Wemyss  Golf  Club  took  place  in  March 
1858,  when  the  secretary  records  that  "splendid  shots 
were  made  from  the  tee  over  the  Glass  Cove."  It  would 
be  a  mistake  for  people  to  run  away  with  the  idea  that 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  249 

golf  only  began  to  be  played  at  Wemyss  when  the  club 
was  formed  in  the  fifties.  Queen  Mary  could  wield  a  golf 
club  as  well  as  fly  a  hawk,  and  it  is  quite  within  the 
bounds  of  possibility  that  she  and  Darnley,  who,  as 
Melville  tells  us,  was  "even  and  brent  up.  weill  instructed 
in  his  youth  in  all  honest  and  comely  exercises,"  may  have 
tried  their  skill  in  driving  over  the  red  rocks  which  made 
the  Wemyss  course  one  of  the  most  sporting  of  courses. 
Whether  Mary  and  Darnley  played  golf  by  the  Glass 
Cove  and  Wemyss  Castle  or  not,  certain  it  is  that  golf  was 
played  at  Wemyss  at  an  early  period.  John  Grub,  the 
author  of  "  Orations  on  Various  Select  Subjects,"  was 
appointed  schoolmaster  of  the  parish  of  Wemyss  in  1748. 
On  the  year  of  his  appointment  he  was  struck  on  the 
knee  by  a  golf  ball.  The  injury  brought  on  a  white 
swelling.  The  schoolmaster  was  confined  to  the  house  for 
two  years,  and  he  ultimately  lost  the  injured  limb. 

The  first  captain  of  the  club  of  the  fifties  was  Mr 
Wemyss  of  Wemyss  Castle,  and  his  lady  was  the  first 
patroness.  Mr  Wemyss  was  succeeded  by.  among  others, 
Mr  R.  G.  E.  Wemyss,  Mr  Oswald  of  Dunnikier,  Mr  Cath- 
cart  of  Pitcairlie,  Rev.  A.  B.  Campbell  of  Markinch, 
Colonel  Mai tl and  Dougall,  Allan  Stewart  of  Balgonie, 
Colonel  Johnston,  and  old  Tom  Morris.  The  following 
extract  from  the  minutes  is  particularly  interesting : — 

"11  Nov.  1863. — After  the  day's  play,  Mr  Wemyss,  captain  of 
the  club,  entertained  the  members  to  dinner,  after  which  Mr 
Wemyss  proposed  that  Mr  Thomas  Morris,  champion,  be  made  an 
honorary  member  of  the  club,  which  was  carried  by  acclamation." 

The  club  played  a  great  many  matches  in  the  sixties, 
seventies,  and  eighties,  and  pulled  off  such  a  number  of 
successes  that  it  held  a  place  of  honour  among  the  clubs  of 
the  "  Kingdom." 


250  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE   AND    WEMYSS. 

In  the  summer  of  1905  a  meeting  was  held  and  it  was 
agreed  to  resuscitate  the  club  and  to  re-open  the  old  course. 
The  following  office-bearers  were  appointed : — President, 
Mr  Michael  Wemyss ;  vice-president,  Mr  G.  F.  Under- 
wood ;  secretary,  Mr  J.  C.  Davis  ;  treasurer,  Mr  J.  A. 
Black. 


THE   WEMYSS    COLLIERY. 

The  monks  of  Dunferruline  commenced  to  work  coal 
under  the  shadow  of  the  ancient  abbey,  on  the  lands  of 
Pittencrieff,  in  1291.  Twenty  years  before  this,  Sir  John 
of  Methil  and  Wemyss  was  taking  a  practical  interest  in 
ecclesiastical  affairs  in  Dunfermline.  Sir  John's  successors 
kept  up  friendly  relations  with  the  abbot  and  the  monks 
of  Dunfermline,  and  at  Pittencrieff  they  doubtless  learned 
enough  of  the  art  of  coal-getting  and  the  value  of  coals  to 
induce  them  to  open  up  "  heughs "  in  the  seams  which 
cropped  out  on  the  banks  of  the  Forth  at  West  Wemyss, 
and  ultimately  at  Methil.  Coal  heughs  certainly  existed 
at  Wemyss  early 

In  the  Fifteenth  Century. 

In  an  agreement  entered  into  between  David  Wemyss 
of  Wemyss  and  Robert  Livingston  of  Drumry  in  1429,  in 
connection  with  the  estates  of  East  Wemyss  and  West 
Wemyss,  it  was  specifically  set  forth  that  they  mutually 
granted  to  each  other  the  freedom  of  working  coal.  A 
clause  was  also  inserted  anent  the  manufacture  of  salt. 
In  1475  a  dispute  arose  between  Sir  John  of  Wemyss  and 
Sir  Michael  Livingston,  the  vicar  of  Wemyss,  anent  the 
teinds.  The  questions  raised  were  fought  out  in  the 
ecclesiastical  courts  of  St  Andrews,  and  ultimately  the 
Assessor  pronounced  decree  setting  forth  that  the  teind 
coals  of  the  coal-heughs  of  the  Laird  of  Wemyss  shall  be 
levied  upon  the  multure  of  the  coal-heughs  from  which 
they  were  led  to  the  sea,  and  as  for  the  teind  of  salt,  the 
vicar  was  to  have  the  true  tenth  of  each  pan  in  the  week 


252  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

paid  wholly  to  him  at  the  pan.  At  this  time  there  were 
as  many  as  six  salt  pans  in  operation,  and  one  coal-heugh 
at  work  at  West  Wenayss,  so  that  the  vicar's  income  from 
salt  and  coal  must  have  been  very  considerable. 

Old  Coal  Taxes. 

David  Wemyss  of  that  ilk  (1572-1597),  had  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  called  before  the  Privy  Council  in  1573 
in  connection  with  his  salt  pans  at  West  Wemyss.  The 
Laird  of  Wemyss  had  five  pans  at  work  and  did  a  con- 
siderable export  trade.  Salt  was  scarce  in  this  country, 
and  the  Council  decreed  that  the  export  trade  should  be 
restricted  until  our  own  country  was  supplied.  To  make 
sure  chat  the  Laird  of  Wemyss  would  observe  the 
restrictive  conditions,  he  was  called  before  the  Council  at 
Holyrood.  In  the  closing  days  of  the  sixteenth  century  it 
appears  to  have  been  the  custom  of  the  Privy  Council  to 
close  all  seaports  for  general  merchandise  where  no  custom 
officer  was  located.  There  was  no  officer  at  West  Wemyss, 
and  the  port  in  Sir  John  Wemyss'  time,  because  of  ship- 
owners defrauding  the  Customs,  was  closed  as  a  seaport 
for  general  merchandise,  coal  and  salt  excepted. 

John  first  Earl  of  Wemyss  (1622-1649)  did  a  great 
deal  for  the  development  of  the  minerals  and  the  salt 
industry  at  West  Wemyss.  It  was  in  his  time  that  the 
Privy  Council  decreed  that  home  vessels  should  be  served 
with  coal  at  the  ports  on  the  Forth  before  foreign  craft. 
This  condition  was  enforced  because  of  an  alleged  scarcity 
of  fuel  in  this  country.  The  Earl  fought  the  Privy 
Council  for  freedom  to  trade  in  such  a  way  as  would 
enable  him  to  develop  the  trade  and  keep  his  workpeople 
fully  employed.  He  brought  a  mining  engineer  from 
England  to  test  the  value  of  his  coalfields,  and  he  was  the 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  253 

first  to  discover  coal  at  Lochgelly.  He  claimed  to  have  as 
many  as  twelve  seams  of  coals  in  the  lands  of  West 
Wemyss,  and  a  glimpse  at  life  in  the  olden  time  is  given 
by  the  words  in  which  the  discovery  of  the  Bowhousc 
coal  is  recorded.  A  coal  called  the  "Bowhouse"  was 
found  "  be-east  the  Daubbue  Creeaydge  att  the  pleay 
field  quher  the  witches  is  burnt."  David  the  second  Earl 
of  Wemyss  did  much  for  the  development  of  the  coal  works 
at  Wemyss,  and,  indeed,  of  Scotland.  Parliament  in  1656 
imposed  a  tax  of  4s  per  ton  on  coals  exported  in  home 
vessels  and  8s  per  ton  on  coals  sent  abroad  in  foreign 
ships.  The  tax  proved  more  than  the  coalowners  in  Scot- 
land could  bear,  and  Lord  Wemyss  went  to  London  and 
presented  a  petition  to  the  Protector,  pointing  out  that 
the  impost  was  ruining  the  coalmasters  and  preventing  the 
20,000  people  employed  at  the  coal  works  on  the  banks  of 
the  Forth  from  earning  an  adequate  living.  The  Govern- 
me'nt  of  the  Commonwealth  reduced  the  tax  on  home 
boats  from  4s  to  2s  6d  per  ton  and  on  foreign  from  8s  to 
4s. 

Earl  David  opened  up  the  coal  works  at  Methil.  In 
the  document  which  the  Earl  left  bearing  on  the  coal- 
workings  he  states,  "  It  is  well  known  that  I  leave  many 
good  colles  at  West  Wemyss."  David  the  third  Earl  of 
Wemyss  was  in  1689  a  representative  of  the  coalowners 
who  appealed  for  a  remission  of  the  tax  on  coals,  and 
James  the  fourth  Earl  had  a  good  deal  to  do  with  the 
same  subject.  The  Hon.  James  Wemyss  (1756-1786),  like 
his  predecessors,  did  much  to  improve  his  coal  and  salt 
works.  A  very  extensive  hold  of  the  coal  which  cropped 
out  on  the  shore  between  the  Chapel  Gardens  and  Wemyss 
harbour  was  secured  by  the  running  of  a  day  level  from 
Q 


254  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

high-water  mark.  The  breast  of  coal  in  the  mine  measured 
three  hundred  yards  at  some  places,  and  the  workings  ex- 
tended to  East  Newton,  where  the  coal  "nipped  out." 
This  mine  was  followed  by  a  shaft,  the  workings  being 
drained  by  a  windmill  and  a  horse  gin.  Operations  did  not 
proceed  far,  however,  when  the  sea  burst  in  and  work  had 
to  be  abandoned. 

A  Great  Fitting. 

Nos.  2  and  3  shafts  followed,  and  then  came  one  of 
the  greatest  fittings  of  the  times,  No.  4  pit.  It  was  sunk 
on  the  shore  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  present  gas  works. 
The  pit  was  84  fathoms  in  depth,  and  was  drained  by  an 
engine  of  30  horse  power,  but  ultimately  this  was  increased 
to  90  horse  power,  the  volume  of  water  haying  been 
largely  added  to  through  a  flow  from  a  dam  in  the  old 
workings. 

Writing  in  1790,  Mr  Gibb,  the  minister  of  the  parish, 
states  that  there  is  shipped  at  West  Wemyss  annually 
about  6000  tons  of  coal,  mostly  for  Amsterdam,  Hamburg 
and  Middlesburg.  The  light  on  the  Island  of  May  was 
at  this  time  supplied  with  coal  from  West  Wemyss. 
Floods  and  fires  were  among  the  difficulties  experienced  in 
connection  with  the  Engine  pit,  and  in  1824  No.  7  pit, 
which  was  afterwards  known  as  the  Victoria,  was  sunk. 
As  the  dook  workings  of  the  Victoria  began  to  spread 
under  the  sea,  the  water  increased  enormously,  and  Mr 
David  Landale,  the  mining  engineer  at  the  colliery,  writ- 
ing in  1835,  tells  us  that  there  were  as  many  as  four  steam 
engines  on  the  fitting,  of  the  united  power  of  172  horses, 
which  was  nearly  a  horse-power  to  every  ton  of  coals 
raised.  At  this  time  the  workings  under  the  sea  gave  out 
large  quantities  of  hydrogen  gas,  and  Mr  Landale  found 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMVSS. 


255 


that  the  only  remedy  was  to  put  a  bore  at  repeated  inter- 
vals through  the  roof  coal,  and  ignite  the  gas  at  the  mouth 
of  the  hole.  Mr  Landale  gives  us  the  following  glimpse  at 
the  workings  in  the  early  days  of  the  Victoria : — 

"There  is  a  level  tramway  every  third  room  or  drift,  upon 
which  the  trains  are  drawn  from  the  inclined  plane  to  the  colliers. 
The  colliers  for  two  rooms  above  these  roads  slide  their  coals  down 
the  steep  downsets,  and  those  one  room  down  hand  them  up. 
Every  three  men  have  a  boy  or  a  girl  for  this  purpose." 

In  1841. 

In  his  evidence  given  in  1841  before  the  Royal  Com- 
mission appointed  to  inquire  into  the  employment  of 
women  and  children  in  mines,  Mr  Thomas  Eyewater,  the 
manager  of  the  colliery,  stated  that  there  were  employed 
above  and  below  ground  at  Wemyss  colliery  370  persons. 
Of  the  269  people  working  below  ground  25  were  females, 
and  of  the  boys  25  were  under  13  years  of  age.  Mr  Bye- 
water  continues  :  — 

"Our  hours  of  employment  are  nominally  12,  but  two  hours 
being  allowed  for  breakfast  and  dinner,  10  hours  are  the  time  the 
men  and  others  actually  work.  Children  remain  below  as  long  as 
the  adults  ;  but  as  respects  young  colliers  they  work  just  according 
to  their  ability.  By  the  practice  of  the  colliery  each  adult  collier  is 
entitled  to  send  to  bank  a  specified  quantity  as  his  day's  work,  and 
whatever  a  man's  strength  might  be,  his  fellow-workmen  would 
object  to  his  increasing  it.  But  then,  as  a  man  is  allowed  to  add  a 
quarter  to  his  quantity  from  the  first  day  he  takes  a  boy  down  to 
learn  him  his  trade  as  a  collier,  he  does,  in  fact,  work  this  ad- 
ditional quantity  himself  often  for  months,  the  boy  being  incapable 
for  a  considerable  time. 

"A  boy  under  13  years  of  age  ranks  as  'quarter  man  ;'  on 
reaching  the  age  of  13  he  is  reckoned  as  '  half  man  ;  '  at  16  rises  to 
a  '  three-quarter  man  ; '  and  at  17  takes  his  place  as  a  '  full  man.' 
These  regulations  were  formed  by  the  colliers  themselves,  and 
acquiesced  in  by  the  proprietor.  By  a  rule  of  this  colliery,  no  boy 


256  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYS8. 

should  be  taken  below  until  he  is  10  years  old  ;  on  special  occasions 
this  rule  is  relaxed,  by  the  men  themselves,  to  meet  the  wishes  of 
men  with  large  families,  or  to  assist  the  widow  of  a  collier. 

"  The  colliers'  present  wage  averages  from  2s  6d  to  3s  per  day  ; 
they  have  fallen  25  per  cent,  within  the  last  12  months,  owing  to 
reduction  in  the  sale  prices  of  coals,  arising  from  a  diminished 
demand.  In  addition  to  money  wages,  a  collier  (if  married)  gets  a 
free  house  and  garden.  He  is  further  permitted  to  work  5  cwt.  of 
coal  weekly  for  his  family  use,  which  is  sent  to  the  bank  without 
charge  ;  but  he  loses  this  advantage  if  he  has  less  than  10  days' 
work  in  the  fortnight,  unless  he  proves  by  a  certificate  from  the 
surgeon  of  the  works  that  sickness  or  injury  sustained  at  the  work 
occasioned  his  absence.  Unmarried  colliers  receive  money  in  lieu 
of  coals.  The  present  rates  of  wages  for  smiths  are  2s  8d  ;  masons, 
2s  6d  ;  carpenters,  2s  8d  ;  and  labourers,  Is  8d  to  2s  per  day. 

"  The  coals  are  putted  by  females,  and  the  practice  here  is  to 
contract  with  a  certain  number  of  responsible  hands  for  periods  of 
three  and  six  months,  leaving  these  contractors  to  engage  their 
assistants." 

Among  the  further  evidence  led  at  Wemyss  was  the 
following : — 

"  Robert  Welch,  11  years  old,  hewer — Works  with  father  ;  has 
done  so  one  month  ;  learning  to  hew  coal  ;  has  no  disiike  to  the 
work,  only  finds  it  very  inconvenient  to  get  porridge  down  ;  has 
been  five  years  at  school,  and  learned  to  read  and  write.  [Reads 
and  writes  very  well.]  Two  brothers  work  below  with  me — 
Alexander,  13,  has  been  two  years  down,  and  George,  15,  has 
been  four  years  down  ;  both  read  and  write  well. 

"Janet  Welch,  about  20  years  old,  putter — Wrought  below 
nine  years  ;  did  bear  the  coal  on  back  ;  ceased  to  do  so  six  months 
ago.  Women  who  worked  in  the  high  seam  carried  coal  till 
masters  forbid  it  two  years  since  ;  small  hutches  could  have  been 
used,  but  it  was  cheaper  to  carry.  I  work  on  the  master's  account, 
and  receive  Is  a  day  ;  do  not  like  contract  work,  as  the  work  is 
made  o'ersair.  [Reads  ;  ill-informed.] 

"Isabel  Hugh,  19  years  old,  putter — Began  to  work  when  13 
years  old,  below  ground  ;  has  wrought  in  the  fields  ;  likes  the 
work  well  enough  ;  it  is  guie  sair  sweating  work.  Janet  Adarnson 


PARISH  OF  WEMYSS.  257 

and  I  contract  for  putting  on  our  own  account  ;  the  road  is  100 
fathoms  in  length,  and  we  run  the  races  singly  ;  we  frequently  run 
50  races  between  us  ;  we  get  14d  per  score,  and  Is  per  week  each 
extra  for  clearing  pit  bottom  and  working  the  pump  ;  seldom  work 
less  than  12  to  14  hours.  [Reads  and  writes.] 

"Elizabeth  Lister,  15  years  old,  putter — Has  wrought  three 
years  below  ;  works  from  six  in  the  morning  to  six  at  night ;  works 
for  contractors  ;  has  to  make  14  races  before  poriidge-time ;  the 
distance  is  300  fathoms  from  incline  to  pit  bottom  ;  and  14  to  15 
races  between  porridge  and  the  time  we  take  our  pieces  of  bread  ; 
14,  15,  and  16  races  afterwards;  we  get  lod  a  day,  but  only  em- 
ployed nine,  sometimes  ten  days  in  the  fortnight.  When  I  wrought 
on  day's  wages  for  master,  was  not  so  hard  worked  ;  the  work  is 
more  sair,  as  the  men  drive  us  more,  for  they  do  the  work  cheap. 
Many  girls  have  left,  not  liking  to  be  driven,  and  gone  into  the 
fields.  [Reads  and  writes  very  well ;  clever  and  ready  in  replies.]" 

From  1870  to  the  Present  Day. 

In  1870 — the  year  the  eight  hours  a  day  system  was 
introduced — Mrs  Wemyss  gave  colliery  development  in 
the.  vicinity  of  Barncraig  an  impulse  by  the  construction 
of  the  West  Wemyss  dock.  The  dock  enabled  the  man- 
agement of  the  Wemyss  colliery  to  take  full  advantage  of 
the  golden  days  experienced  in  the  coal  trade  in  1872-3. 
The  opening  of  the  dock  was  followed  by  the  sinking  of 
the  Hugo  pit,  and  in  1899  Lochhead  pit  was  sunk  and  a 
day  mine  driven  through  the  strata  to  the  Bowhouse  coal. 
In  1894  the  Wemyss  Coal  Company,  Limited,  was  formed. 
The  directors  of  the  company  are : — Mr  R.  G.  E.  Wemyss 
(chairman),  Mr  Joseph  Budge,  Mr  John  Gemmel,  Mr  John 
Oswald,  Mr  W.  Nocton,  and  Mr  A.  Bowman.  Mr  V.  L. 
Gordon  is  general  manager ;  Mr  G.  F.  Underwood,  secre- 
tary ;  Mr  R.  Anderson,  cashier ;  and  Mr  J.  Davis,  prin- 
cipal book-keeper. 

In  1898  the  chemiss  splint  coal  was  struck  it  a  depth 
of  140  fathoms  in  the  Michael  pits,  which  are  equi-distant 


258  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

between  Wemyss  Castle  and  the  village  of  East  Wemyss. 
A  direct-acting  pumping  engine  capable  of  raising  one 
thousand  gallons  of  water  a  minute  to  the  surface  is  at 
work  on  one  of  the  shafts,  and  on  both  pits  the  coals  are 
drawn  by  handsome  coupled  engines,  the  combined  output 
reaching  as  much  as  2000  tons  a  day.  The  dook  in  the 
chemiss  splint  seam  dips  one  foot  in  three,  and  has  reached  a 
point  something  like  three-quarters  of  a  mile  under  the  sea. 
The  screening  plant  for  the  coals  and  other  fittings  are  of 
the  best  make,  and  through  an  effective  system  of  lighting 
by  electricity  work  goes  on  as  briskly  in  the  dark  mornings 
and  on  the  long  dark  nights  as  it  does  in  the  sunshine. 
An  interesting  feature  of  the  Michael  pits  is  the  fact  that 
all  the  machinery  is  founded  on  the  solid  rock,  and  the 
boilers  are  connected  with  the  chimney- stalk  by  flues 
driven  through  the  red  sandstone. 

In  the  beginning  of  1904  the  work  of  opening  up  the 
northern  section  of  Wernyss  coalfield  was  commenced  at 
Earlseat,  near  Thornton.  The  site  makes  the  colliery 
unique  in  the  history  of  mining,  Earlseat  is  the  apex  of 
the  Wemyss,  Dysart,  and  Balgonie  coalfields,  and  five 
seams  of  coal  converge  and  crop  out  within  a  small  area. 
The  colliery  fittings  have  been  pitched  on  the  apex,  and 
as  many  as  five  day-mines  or  "in-going  eyes"  are  being  run 
into  the  Dysart  main  seam,  which  is  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
feet  in  thickness.  The  seams  stretch  away  into  the  Dysart, 
Wemyss,  and  Balgonie  fields  for  distances  ranging  from  a 
mile  to  a  mile  and  a  half,  and  the  mines  are  being  run  to 
the  south,  the  east,  and  the  west.  The  stoop-and-room 
system  of  working  is  being  followed  while  the  work  of 
development  goes  on ;  but  when  the  march  has  been 
reached  on  the  different  slopes  and  a  great  area  of  coal 


260  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

has  been  opened  up,  the  management  will  start  to  come 
surf  ace  wards  on  the  long-wall  system.  In  the  500  yards 
which  have  been  run  in  the  Dysart  seam  in  No.  3  mine 
the  dip  has  varied — now  one  foot  in  six  feet,  then  com- 
paratively flat,  and  afterwards  one  in  three.  This  means 
that  the  Dysart  main  seam  and  the  seams  which  lie  above 
it  have  ample  covering  in  the  whole  of  the  area  being 
operated  on,  and  it  is  thus  computed  that  the  field  of  Earl- 
seat  will  yield  from  15,000,000  to  20,000,000  tons  of  coal. 
In  the  centre  of  the  horseshoe  into  which  the  mines  are 
being  driven  a  huge  platform  has  been  erected  on  the 
surface,  and  by  an  ingenious  arrangement  the  whole  of 
the  coals  drawn  from  the  mines  are  wheeled  on  to  the  one 
platform,  and  are  dealt  with  by  effective  cleaning  and 
screening  plant,  which  runs  the  different  classes  of  coals 
into  the  waggons  in  the  very  best  of  condition. 

Messrs  Bowman  &  Company's  lease  of  the  Muiredge 
and  Cameron  fields  expired  on  1st  August  1905,  and  on 
that  date  Messrs  Bowman  &  Co.'s  pits  were  taken  over  by 
the  Wemyss  Coal  Company.  One  of  the  greatest  features 
of  the  Wemyss  Company's  works  is  the  Baum  coal  washer, 
which  has  been  erected  at  Denbeath.  The  washer  is  capable 
of  handling  1000  tons^.  of  coal  a  day,  and  has  storage 
accommodation  for  from  4000  to  5000  tons.  Most  of  the 
trebles,  nuts,  beans,  and  peas  produced  at  Wemyss  colliery 
are  treated  by  the  washer.  The  huge  machine  and  its 
railway  connections  cost  nearly  £40,000. 

Mr  Joseph  Budge  has  been  factor  on  Wemyss  estate 
since  1870.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Fife  County 
Council  since  tho  passing  of  the  Act  of  1889,  and  in  this 
connection  he  has  fulfilled  the  duties  of  Chairman  of  the 
Kirkcaldy  District  Committee  with  great  acceptance  for 


THE    PARISH    OP   WEMYSS. 


261 


two  terms.  As  Convener  of  the  Technical  Education 
Committee  of  the  County  Council  he  has  done  magnificent 
work,  and  his  labours  on  the  School  Board  of  the  parish 
of  Wemyss  have  been  unceasing. 


THE    WEMYSS    FAMILY, 
From  the  Earliest  Times  to  the  Present  Day. 

Michael  of  Methil,  the  founder  of  the  Wemyss  family, 
flourished  during  the  reign  of  William  the  Lion,  which 
was  from  the  year  1165  to  1214.  Between  1165  and  1905 
we  have  many  generations,  extending  over  a  period  of 
seven  centuries.  To  the  mind  of  Sir  William  Fraser,  the 
tradition  of  the  Wemyss  descent  from  the  ancient  Earls 
of  Fife  was  not  established,  but  he  concludes  a  chapter  on 
"The  Origin  of  the  Family"  by  telling  us  that  the  family 
has  one  of  the  "  longest  and  purest  of  Scottish  pedigrees." 
The  writer  of  this  little  work  does  not  accept  Sir  William's 
deductions  against  the  Fife  descent  as  absolute,  and  despite 
all  that  the  learned  author  says,  clings  to  the  tradition 
that  the  family  are  descended  from  the  Earls  of  Fife. 
Writers  who  do  not  accept  the  traditional  descent  from 
the  Fife  earls  build  their  theories  upon  two  grounds — 
(1)  that  in  the  days  of  Sir  John  Wemyss  of  Wemyss  the 
Wemyss  family  did  not  bear  the  ensign  armorial  of  the 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  263 

Earls  of  Fife;  and  (2)  that  it  has  not  been  proved  that 
the  lands  of  Muircambus  were  part  of  the  early  possessions 
of  the  Wemyss's.  The  first  argument  does  not  count  for 
much  when  it  is  kept  in  mind  that  the  Earls  of  Fife 
changed  their  arms.  The  second  contention  is  disposed 
of  by  a  case  which  is  reported  in  the  Acta  Auditorium,  p. 
52,  and  which  came  before  the  Lords  Auditors  on  17th 
July  1476.  The  case  was  one  raised  at  the  instance  of 
David  Bos  well  of  Balmuto,  and  his  son,  David  Boswell  of 
Glasmont,  against  William  Levinstone  of  Drumry,  anent 
the  lands  of  Muircambus.  The  evidence  adduced  shows 
without  doubt  that  the  lands  had  been  in  the  hands  of  the 
Wemyss  family  when  the  division  took  place  among  the  co- 
heiresses in  1342. 

Macduflf  was  created  Earl  of  Fife  by  Malcolm  Canmore 
in  1057,  twelve  years  before  Queen  Margaret  arrived  at 
Queensferry,  and  was  distinguished  by  many  great  and 
noble  privileges  for  his  valour  against  the  usurper  Macbeth, 
and  through  which  Malcolm  was  restored  to  the  throne  of 
his  ancestors.  Gilimichael  Macduff  was  the  fourth  in 
descent  from  the  great  Macduff.  He  was  a  witness  to 
several  charters  by  King  David  I.,  "The  Sair  Saint,"  to 
the  monastery  of  Dunfermline.  He  was  succeeded  in  the 
earldom  by  Duncan,  his  eldest  son.  Gilimichael's  second 
son  was  Hugo,  and  to  Hugo  he  gave  the  lands  of  Markinch, 
and  other  lands  now  the  estate  of  Wemyss.  Hugo  died 
in  1163,  A  son  of  Hugo,  who  also  took  the  name  of 
Hugo,  conferred  on  the  canons  of  St  Andrews  the  church 
of  Markinch,  with  a 'toft  and  the  teinds.  The  charter  was 
witnessed  by  Richard,  the  bishop,  who  died  in  1173.  Hugo 
had  a  son  whose  name  was  Michael,  and  Michael  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son  John,  who  afterwards  became  Sir  John 


264  RAMBLES   IN   8COONIE   AND   WEMYSS. 

of  Methil  and  Wemyss.  Sir  John  lavished  many  gifts  on 
the  Church.  He  granted  in  1239  his  right  to  the  Church 
of  St  Mary  of  Wemyss  to  the  Hospital  of  Soutra,  a  small 
religious  house  on  the  ridge  of  the  Lammermoors.  Sir 
John,  who  is  described  by  Bower  the  historian  as  a  brave 
knight,  was  stricken  in  years,  and  was  suffering  from  an 
aguish  fever  when  the  Norwegians  tried  to  conquer  Scot- 
land. While  under  the  effects  of  the  malady  he  fell  into 
a  slumber  and  had  a  vivid  dream.  He  thought  he  stood 
in  the  north  porch  of  the  church  at  Dunfermline,  and  there 
a  lady  of  great  beauty  and  royal  robes  appeared  on  the 
scene.  Sir  John  begged  of  the  lady  to  reveal  who  she 
was,  and  the  visitor  from  the  other  world  replied  : — "  I 
am  Margaret,  formerly  Queen  of  Scotland;  this  is  Malcolm, 
my  husband,  and  these  are  our  three  sons,  kings  of  this 
realm  while  in  the  flesh,  with  whom  I  hasten  to  Largs  to 
defend  the  country  and  gain  a  victory  over  the  tyrant 
who  strives  unjustly  to  subdue  our  realm."  In  response 
to  what  he  considered  to  be  an  invitation  from  the  un- 
earthly visitants,  Sir  John,  despite  his  weakly  condition, 
journeyed  from  Wemyss  to  Dunfermline.  He  related  his 
dream  to  the  prior,  showed  his  devotion  by  kissing  the 
relics  in  the  church  of  the  saintly  Queen,  and  while  thus 
engaged  his  malady  vanished.  It  was  with  difficulty  he 
could  tear  himself  away  from  the  sacred  spot,  and  while  he 
lingered  and  thought  of  the  days  when  Queen  Margaret 
worshipped  in  the  sacred  edifice,  a  messenger  arrived  with 
news  of  the  victory  gained  over  the  Norwegians  at  Largs. 

Sir  John  was  on  most  intimate  terms  with  Malcolm 
Earl  of  Fife.  He  was  succeeded  by  Sir  Michael  Wernyss 
of  Wemyss.  Sir  Michael  was  in  possession  of  the  Wemyss 
estates  from  1265  to  1319.  He  was  among  the  Scottish 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  265 

barons  who  swore  fealty  to  Edward  I.,  and  in  March  1304, 
when  the  King  made  a  progress  through  Fife,  he  spent  a 
night  and  a  day  at  Wemyss.  On  King  Robert  the  Bruce 
coming  forward  in  defence  of  the  rights  of  the  people  of 
Scotland,  Sir  Michael  joined  his  standard,  with  the  result 
that  Edward  issued  a  mandate  commanding  that  the 
"manor"  where  the  Laird  of  Wemyss  "lay"  and  his 
other  "manors"  should  be  burned  and  his  lands  destroyed. 
Sir  Michael  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Sir  David  Wemyss 
of  Wemyss,  who  was  one  of  the  ambassadors  sent,  after 
the  death  of  Alexander  III.,  to  bring  home  the.  Maid  of 
Norway.  The  King  of  Norway  presented  Sir  David  with 
a  massive  silver  basin,  which  is  preserved  in  the  Castle  of 
Wemyss  to  this  day.  In  1297  he  was  summoned  to  attend 
on  King  Edward  in  Flanders ;  but  he  does  not  seem  to 
have  been  happy  with  the  English  King,  for  ac  a  later 
date  he  and  his  wife  are  referred  to  as  rebels.  Sir  David 
in  certain  writs  is  designated  as  lord  of  half  of  the  lands 
of  Lochore,  and  the  mill  of  Lochoreshire  was  the  common 
property  of  Sir  David  and  Adam  de  Vallonius.  He  died 
about  1330.  It  was  under  Sir  Michael's  roof  that  the 
Regent  Moray  was  seized  with  the  illness  which  proved 
fatal,  and  in  the  stirring  times  which  followed  Randolph's 
death,  the  Laird  of  Wemyss  was  among  the  nobles  who 
were  made  prisoners  by  the  English.  Sir  Michael  died 
somewhere  about  1 342,  leaving,  says  Sir  William  Fraser, 
no  surviving  male  issue,  and  his  large  possessions  were 
divided  among  his  three  daughters,  who  carried  their 
separate  portions  of  their  father's  estate  into  the  families 
of  their  respective  husbands.  The  partition  of  Wemyss- 
shire  continued  until  1630,  when  the  whole  of  the  lands 
returned  to  the  family  by  purchase.  Sir  John  Wemyss  of 


266  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

Reres  and  Wemyss  succeeded  in  1372.  Sir  John  is  known 
as  the  patron  of  Andrew  Wyntoun,  the  well-known  author 
of  the  "  Rhyming  Chronicle."  Wyntoun  became  prior  of 
St  Serf's  in  1395,  and  it  was  at  the  suggestion  of  Sir  John 
that  the  author  published  his  "  Cronykil  of  Scotland." 
The  Chronicle  was  issued  about  1423  or  1424. 

Sir  John  Wemyss  was  succeeded  by  David  Wemyss  of 
Methil  and  Wemyss,  who  was  fully  alive  to  the  advan- 
tages of  consolidating  the  Wemyss  properties,  and  it  was 
in  his  time  that  the  distinction  of  Wemyss  into  East  and 
West  Wemyss  originated.  John  Wemyss  succeeded  his 
father  in  1430.  About  the  year  1460 — probably  at  the 
coronation  of  James  III. — the  Laird  of  Wemyss  was 
raised  to  the  rank  of  knight.  Sir  John  was  succeeded  in 
1502  by  his  son,  who  died  in  1508.  David  Wemyss  came 
next.  He  was  knighted  in  1510,  and  in  1511  he  obtained 
the  formal  erection  of  the  whole  of  the  Wemyss  estates 
into  a  barony,  which  was  called  the  Barony  of  Wemyss. 
Sir  David  accompanied  James  IV.  in  his  fatal  expedition 
against  England,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Flodden 
on  9th  September  1513.  David  Wemyss,  who  succeeded 
to  the  estates  in  1513,  died  in  1544.  Then  came  Sir  John 
Wemyss  of  that  ilk,  who  was  a  military  man.  Among 
the  many  engagements  in  which  the  Laird  of  Wemyss 
took  part  was  the  battle  of  Pinkie,  which  was  fought  on 
10th  September  1547,  and  there  he  was  taken  prisoner  on 
the  field.  He  was  soon  liberated,  and  in  1548  he  distin- 
guished himself  by  repulsing  a  body  of  English  soldiers 
who  tried  to  obtain  a  footing  in  Fife  by  landing  at  St 
Monans.  Sir  John  was  appointed  lieutenant  of  Fife, 
Kinross,  and  Clackmannan  by  Queen  Mary,  and  in  1564-5 
the  Queen  visited  Wemyss  Castle.  Sir  John  was  at  the 


THE    PARISH    OP   WEMTS8.  267 

battle  of  Langside  in  May  1568,  and  took  part  in  the 
conflict.  He  died  in  January  1571.  He  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  David  Wemyss  of  Wemyss  (circa  1572-1597). 
In  consequence  of  the  illness  of  his  father,  the  young 
laird  had  often  to  step  into  the  breach  and  take  military 
service.  He  took  part  in  many  of  the  Border  raids  in  the 
middle  of  the  sixteenth  century.  He  redeemed  the  lands 
of  Lochgelly  from  Sir  William  Scott  of  Balwearie.  During 
his  lifetime  he  was  compelled  to  entertain  at  his  castle  of 
Wemyss  a  number  of  prominent  Borderers,  who  were 
committed  to  the  care  of  the  well-affected  barons  of  the 
realm  as  pledges  for  the  good  behaviour  of  their  kinsmen. 
When  James  VL  was  married  to  Princess  Anne  of  Den- 
mark, the  Laird  of  Wemyss  was  among  those  summoned 
to  a  meeting  of  the  Estates  held  in  Edinburgh  in  April 
1589.  In  May  of  the  same  year  he  was  appointed  con- 
vener of  the  county  of  Fife,  and  the  duty  of  a  convener 
of  a  county  was  to  summon  the  freeholders  of  the  shire 
for  the  election  of  Commissioners  to  represent  them  in  a 
Parliament  to  be  held  on  October  2nd. 

In  1596  the  Laird  of  Wemyss  was  a  Member  of  Parlia- 
ment. On  7th  February  1592,  the  Earl  of  Huntly,  accom- 
panied by  a  retinue,  crossed  the  Forth  at  Queensferry  and 
arrived  at  Donibristle  in  the  evening.  Shortly  after  the 
arrival  of  Huntly,  the  "  Bonnie  Earl  of  Moray  "  lay  bleed- 
ing to  death  on  the  rocks  in  front  of  Donibristle  House. 
The  friends  of  Moray  cried  to  the  King  for  justice  against 
Huntly,  and  an  attempt  was  made  to  get  up  a  feud 
between  the  Earls  of  Athole  and  Huntly.  Although 
David  of  Wemyss  seems  to  have  sympathised  with  the 
Atholes,  Sir  William  Fraser  found  no  document  indicat- 
ing that  he  had  been  involved  in  the  skirmishes  which 


268  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND     VVEMYSS. 

took  place.  Sir  John  Wemyss  of  Wemyss  (1597-1622) 
was  knighted  about  1594,  and  in  1595  represented  the 
barons  of  Fife  in  Parliament  along  with  Sir  John  Melville 
of  Carnbee.  His  loyalty  to  King  James  led  to  his  being 
much  trusted  by  the  "Scottish  Solomon"  and  Queen  Anne. 
James  was  always  impecunious,  and  in  1589  the  Laird  of 
Wemyss  was  summoned,  in  his  capacity  as  Commissioner 
to  Parliament,  to  Perth  to  a  Convention  to  "devise  ways 
and  means  for  replenishing  the  royal  exchequer."  Sir 
John  Wemyss  was  one  of  the  nobles  chosen  to  convoy  the 
royal  household  to  London  on  James  succeeding  to  the 
English  throne. 

Sir  John  Wemyss  of  that  ilk,  the  first  Earl  of  Wemyss, 
succeeded  in  1622.  Sir  John  was  knighted  by  James  VI. 
about  1618.  He  was  one  of  the  Scottish  lairds  who 
were  taken  in  by  the  Nova  Scotia  bubble.  Charles  I., 
taking  special  notice  of  Sir  John,  passed  a  signature 
of  a  Nova  Scotia  baronetcy  in  his  favour,  following  up 
the  new  honour  by  the  statement  that  it  was  "  a  next 
stepp  to  a  further  title."  After  the  lands  in  Nova 
Scotia  had  been  declared  to  be  the  property  of  the 
French  Government,  Charles,  in  1628,  "in  remembrance 
of  the  good  service  done  to  his  Majestie,"  conferred 
on  Sir  John  the  dignity  and  rank  of  a  Lord  of  Par- 
liament by  the  title  of  Lord  Wemyss  of  Elcho.  In 
the  Palace  of  Dunfermline,  where  Charles  I.  was  born,  a 
patent,  which  had  been  signed  at  Holyrood,  creating 
Lord  Wemyss  Earl  of  Wemyss  and  Lord  Elcho  of  Methil, 
was  presented  to  his  lordship  by  his  Majesty. 

Lord  Wemyss  was  one  of  the  six  Lords  of  Parliament 
who  bore  the  "pale"  of  crimson  velvet  above  Charles'  head 
from  Holyrood  to  the  church  on  coronation  clay.  When  the 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  269 

laird  of  Wemyss  and  Methil  was  created  Lord  Wemyss, 
he  promised  to  try  and  approve  himself  worthy  of  the 
honour  to  the  "utmost  of  his  possibilities,"  and  his  lord- 
ship was  as  good  as  his  word.  Although  appointed  by 
the  King  a  member  of  the  Court  of  High  Commission, 
which  had  been  established  by  the  bishops,  he  did  not 
act  upon  the  Court,  and  so  strong  a  Presbyterian  was  he 
that  when  Charles  tried  to  force  Episcopacy  on  the  people 
of  Scotland  he  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  nobles  who  tried  at 
any  cost  to  counteract  the  measures  of  Charles.  He  and 
his  son  subscribed  the  Covenant  with  the  rest  of  the 
nobility  in  1638  in  Greyfriars  Churchyard,  and  Sir 
William  Fraser  says  they  were  strong  workers  in  the 
struggle  which  culminated  in  the  second  Reformation. 

Baillie  gives  us  a  delightful  peep  at  the  character  of 
Wemyss.  In  1638  he  was  appointed  the  King's  Commis- 
sioner to  the  General  Assembly.  The  King  intended  at 
first  to  appoint  the  Earl  of  Southesk.  It  transpired  that 
Southesk  was  distrusted  by  the  country.  Wemyss  fell  to 
be  next,  and,  says  Baillie,  "  the  modestie  and  simplicitie 
of  the  man  made  him  displeasing  to  none."  In  the  days 
when  the  breach  between  the  King  and  the  country 
widened,  the  Earl  and  Lord  Elcho  stood  fast  by  their 
Presbyterian  faith  without  wavering,  and  in  1644  Lord 
Wemyss  avowed  his  adherence  to  the  Solemn  League  and 
Covenant. 

In  1630  Lord  Wemyss  purchased  the  lands  of  East 
Wemyss,  and  the  whole  of  Wemyss-shire  thus  became 
once  more  the  property  of  the  Wemyss  family.  The  Earl 
of  Wemyss  developed  the  minerals  on  the  estate  to  an 
enormous  extent,  and  also  added  to  the  saltpans  of  the 
district.  The  Earl  was  the  first  to  discover  coal  at  Loch- 
head,  near  Lochgelly. 
B 


270  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

On  the  death  of  the  Earl  of  Wetnyss  in  1 649  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son,  David  Lord  Elcho,  who  was  born  in  1610. 
David  had  inherited  all  the  patriotism  and  the  business 
capacity  of  his  father.  He  took  an  active  interest  in  the 
civil,  the  military,  and  ecclesiastical  affairs  of  the  country 
during  the  stirring  days  between  1649  and  1679.  He 
carried  out  many  improvements  on  his  lands,  and  launched 
many  extensive  schemes  of  mineral  development.  Through 
the  creation  of  his  father  as  the  Earl  of  Wemyss,  David 
became  Lord  Elcho.  He  supported  his  father  in  his 
adherence  to  the  Covenanting  cause,  which  brought  the 
second  Reformation  in  its  train,  and  the  subsequent 
rupture  with  Charles  I.  At  the  General  Assembly  in 
Glasgow  in  1638  he  opposed  the  bishops  and  all  their 
works,  and  in  the  following  year  accompanied  Montrose 
and  Leslie  in  the  north  of  Scotland  when  they  took  the 
field  against  Huntly.  He  accompanied  the  Scottish  army 
into  England  in  1640,  and  was  absent  from  Wemyss  for  a 
whole  year.  He  took  part  in  many  Covenanting  struggles, 
and  had  the  honour  of  being  mentioned  in  many  of  Crom- 
well's dispatches. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Parliament  which  sat  at 
Edinburgh  in  the  autumn  of  1641,  under  the  presidency 
of  Charles  I.,  was  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly  of 
1643,  and  with  his  father  protested  against  the  translation 
of  George  Gillespie  from  Wemyss  to  Edinburgh.  Lord 
Elcho  experienced  a  good  deal  of  treachery  as  a  com- 
mander in  the  Highlands  in  1644  and  1645,  and  this  led 
to  defeats.  In  1648  he  was  appointed  by  the  Committee 
of  Estates  to  his  former  command  of  colonel  of  one  of  the 
regiments  of  infantry  to  be  raised  by  the  county  of  Fife. 
Lord  Elcho  cast  in  his  lot  with  "  the  honest  party  "  rather 
than  with  the  "  politic-Presbyterian  party,"  and  he  did  not 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  271 

take  part  in  the  expedition  which  sustained  a  terrible 
check  by  Cromwell  at  Preston.  Indeed,  Lord  Elcho  was 
one  of  the  deputation  sent  by  the  "honest  party"  to 
Berwick,  in  response  to  an  offer  from  Cromwell  to  accept 
the  assistance  of  himself  and  his  army  against  their 
opponents.  In  a  letter,  Cromwell  says  : — 

"I  must  be  bold  to  testify  for  that  noble  lord  (the  Marquis  of 
Argyll),  the  Lord  Elcho,  and  the  other  gentlemen  with  him,  tha 
I  have  found  nothing  in  them  other  than  what  becomes  Christians 
and  men  of  honour." 

In  the  stirring  times  which  followed  in  1549,  the  Castle 
of  Wemyss  was  more  than  once  the  scene  of  rejoicing  and 
of  mourning.  Jean  Wemyss,  Lord  Elcho's  eldest  daughter, 
was  in  April  married  to  the  Earl  of  Angus,  arid  in  August 
Elcho's  sister,  Lady  Jean  Wemyss,  was  married  to  her 
second  husband,  the  Hon.  Harry  Maule.  On  the  10th 
November  Lady  Elcho  died,  and  on  the  day  of  his  wife's 
funeral  Lord  Elcho  was  mourning  the  death  of  his  father, 
John  first  Earl  of  Wemyss.  David  Lord  Elcho  now  suc- 
ceeded as  second  Earl  of  Wemyss  He  married  Lady 
Helenor  Fleming,  eldest  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Wigton, 
as  his  second  wife,  but  she  only  lived  two  years. 

Charles  II.  visited  Wemyss  Castle  on  20th  July  1650, 
and  having  afterwards  found  his  way  to  Edinburgh  and 
Leith,  he  proceeded  to  Dunfermline.  In  the  ancient 
city  he  was  met  by  the  Earl  of  Wemyss  and  Mr  George 
Winram,  the  minister  of  Liberton,  as  representatives  of 
the  Kirk  Commission  and  the  Committee  of  Estates. 
They  intimated  to  the  King  that,  as  he  had  refused  to 
sign  the  declaration  renouncing  popery  and  prelacy,  they 
could  neither  own  him  nor  his  cause.  After  certain  altera- 
tions had  been  made,  the  King  signed  the  document  the 


272  RAMBLES     IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

following  day,  and  the  document  became  what  is  known 
in  history  as  the  "  Dunfermline  Declaration." 

The  King  fell  sadly  from  the  faith  implied  in  the 
Declaration,  and  was  really  unworthy  of  the  fidelity  shown 
him.  Charles  was  crowned  at  Scone  on  1st  January  1651. 
The  Earl  of  Wemyss  was  present,  and  in  making  a  pil- 
grimage through  Fife  in  February  the  King  visited 
Wemyss  Castle  and  passed  a  night  with  Earl  David. 
When  Burntisland  fell  into  the  hands  of  Cromwell's  army, 
Wemyss  Castle  was  visited  and  despoiled  of  its  arms  and 
artillery.  Earl  David  ultimately  made  hearty  recognition 
of  the  Government  of  Cromwell,  and  during  the  ascend- 
ancy of  the  Commonwealth  he  enjoyed  a  season  of  quiet 
and  repose. 

On  23rd  December  1652  the  Earl  of  Wemyss  was 
married  to  Lady  Margaret  Leslie,  the  second  daughter  of 
the  Earl  of  Rothes.  Lady  Margaret's  first  husband  was 
Lord  Balgonie,  and  her  second  husband  was  the  second 
Earl  of  Buccleuch.  The  Earl  of  Wemyss  was  her  third 
husband.  Earl  David  attended  the  first  Parliament  of 
Charles  II.  at  Edinburgh,  on  1st  January  1661.  In 
May  1662  Parliament  assigned  to  Earl  David  and  the 
Earl  of  Kellie  the  task  of  bringing  in  the  bishops.  Arch- 
bishop Sharpe  was  one  of  the  bishops  consecrated,  and  in 
1664  Earl  David  was  summoned  by  Sharpe  to  take  part  in 
the  visitation  of  the  University  of  St  Andrews.  The  visit 
was  the  commencement  of  a  friendship  between  the  Arch- 
bishop and  the  Earl  which  resulted  in  the  erection  of 
Methil  into  a  free  burgh  of  barony,  the  building  of  a 
harbour  at  Methil,  the  creation  of  fairs,  and  the  introduc- 
tion of  many  changes  on  the  Wemyss  lands. 

In  many  respects  the  Earl  was  a  wonderful  man. 
While  devoting  much  attention  to  the  army  and  to  Parlia- 


THE    PARISH    OP   WEMYSS.  273 

mentary  questions,  he  kept  a  watchful  eye  on  the  salt 
works  of  "Wemyss  and  his  coal  output  from  Methil 
"  Happy  Mine " — the  Kirkland  and  the  West  Wemyss 
works  were  a  credit  to  the  times  in  which  he  lived.  The 
close  personal  supervision  he  gave  to  the  works  is  shown 
by  the  diary  he  wrote,  of  an  entry  from  which  the  follow- 
ing is  an  extract : — 

"  I  have  sett  doune  the  trew  condition  of  all  my  colles,  that  my 
posteritie  may  know  how  I  left  them  at  writting  of  this  att  Candils- 
masse,  1677." 

The  Earl  then  proceeds  to  detail  the  coalfields  of  the 
district,  including  those  under  the  Leven,  and  he  advises 
his  successors  to  acquire  certain  additional  lands,  so  that 
they  might  secure  the  coalfields.  Earl  David  died  at 
Wemyss  Castle  in  July  1679.  By  his  first  and  third 
wives  he  had  a  numerous  offspring,  sixteen  children,  but 
only  one  daughter  by  each  of  these  two  wives  survived 
him.  In  his  diary  the  Earl  thus  notes  the  death  of  his 
only  son  : — 

"  The  Lord  giues  and  He  taks — all  is  His.  But  we  being  in 
a  sade  conditione,  sailing  His  holy  pleasure,  I  must  shew  that 
David  Wemyss,  my  second  sone,  heir  aboue  named,  being  16  yeirs 
ould  and  6  months  and  15  days,  died  att  Wemyss,  28th  September 
1671,  at  5  morning,  he  being  my  only  sone  of  10.  He  was  buried 
10th  October  1671  at  Wemyss  Kirk." 

The  Earl  settled  his  titles  and  estates  on  his  daughter, 
Lady  Margaret,  his  only  surviving  child  by  Lady  Margaret 
Leslie.  Lady  Margaret  was  born  at  Wemyss  on  1st 
January  1659,  and  on  28th  March  1672,  when  she  was 
only  13  years  of  age,  she  was  married  to  Sir  James 
Wemyss  of  Burntisland,  who  afterwards  became  Lord 
Burntisland.  On  the  death  of  Earl  David  in  1676,  Lady 
Margaret  became  the  Countess  of  Wemyss.  A  petition 


274  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

was  presented  to  Charles  II.  asking  that  Lord  Burntisland 
should  be  allowed  to  enjoy  the  title  of  Earl  of  Wemyss ; 
but  his  lordship  died  before  the  King  had  disposed  of  the 
application.  Lord  Burntisland  was  only  23  years  of 
age  at  his  death,  and  before  his  remains  had  been  long 
buried  his  widow  had  given  birth  to  her  fifth  child.  On 
29th  April  1700  the  Countess  married  Lord  Tarbet,  who 
in  1703  became  the  Earl  of  Cromartie.  The  Countess  of 
Wemyss  and  Cromartie  was  a  lady  of  marked  ability. 
She  died  on  llth  March  1705.  The  Earl  wrote  a  very 
pretty  inscription  for  a  tomb.  He  writes  of  himself  as 
her  spouse,  and  concludes  thus  : — 

Whilst  you  lived  there  was  not  another  more  blessed  than  he. 

Living  you  made  him  young,  but  by  your  death  have  made  him 
old. 

He,  mourning,  has  raised  this  tomb  to  you  as  a  pledge  of  love. 

Nor  will  he  restrain  the  grief  due  to  you. 

The  choicest  and  most  delightful  of  women  was  born  at  the 
Castle  of  Wemyss,  1st  January  1659,  died  llth  March  1705  at  the 
Palace  of  Whitehall.  The  happy  mother  of  the  Wemyss  family, 
by  her  son  David,  of  her  first  husband,  James  Lord  Baron  of  Burnt- 
island,  of  the  Leven  and  Northesk  families,  by  her  daughters  Anna 
and  Margaret. 

David,  third  Earl  of  Wemyss,  succeeded  to  the  estates 
in  1705.  He  had  inherited  all  the  enterprise  of  his  grand- 
father, the  great  Earl  David,  and  the  fifteen  years  which 
stood  between  the  date  of  his  succession  and  his  death 
were  years  of  activity  at  the  coal  pits  and  the  salt  works 
of  Wemyss  and  Methil.  He  tried  glassmaking  in  the 
Glass  Cove.  In  1706  Lord  Wemyss  was  appointed  one  of 
the  Commissioners  for  the  Treaty  of  Union  between 
England  and  Scotland,  and  through  the  debates  in  Parlia- 
ment supported  the  Union.  He  was  one  of  the  sixteen 
peers  chosen  to  represent  the  nobility  of  Scotland  in  the 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS.  275 

Parliament  of  Westminster.  For  the  discharge  of  his 
Parliamentary  business  Earl  David  removed  to  London 
and  took  up  his  residence  in  Soho  Square.  Neither  the 
Earl  nor  his  family  had  much  relish  for  the  "rattle  and 
the  pleasures  of  London,"  and  he  tells  us  that  he  visited 
no  more  than  just  to  "  keep  up  mannerly  with  the  world." 

Earl  David  first  married  Lady  Anna  Douglas,  only 
daughter  of  William  first  Duke  of  Queensberry.  On  the 
13th  February  1700,  just  two  years  after  the  marriage, 
Lady  Anna's  clothes  took  fire  while  at  her  private  devo- 
tions, and  she  sustained  such  injuries  that  she  died  on  the 
23rd  of  the  same  month.  In  1708  the  Earl  married  Miss 
Mary  Robinson,  eldest  daughter  of  Sir  John  Robinson  of 
Formingwood.  His  third  wife  was  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
Henry  Lord  Sinclair.  Lord  Wemyss  lost  his  eldest  son, 
a  promising  young  man  of  17  years,  by  death,  and  he  was 
left  with  only  the  other  son  of  his  first  marriage  when  he 
wedded  his  third  wife.  A  son  and  two  daughters  were 
born  of  the  third  marriage.  Lord  Wemyss  died  on  15th 
March  1720. 

James  the  fourth  Earl  of  Wemyss  was  born  on  30th 
August  1699,  and  was  the  younger  of  the  two  sons  of  the 
third  Earl  and  Lady  Anna  Douglas.  James  was  an  infant 
of  but  a  few  months  old  when  his  mother  lost  her  life  by 
her  clothes  taking  fire.  Andrew  Ramsay,  the  tutor  of 
James  and  his  elder  brother  David,  in  writing  to  a  friend, 
says  : — "  I  have  nothing  to  interrupt  me  but  an  hour  or 
two  attendance  at  night  upon  two  of  the  most  innocent, 
sweet,  sprightly  boys  I  ever  knew."  Earl  James  married 
the  only  daughter  and  heiress  of  Colonel  Francis  Charteris 
of  Annisfield  and  Newmills,  in  the  county  of  Haddington. 
The  Earl  devoted  a  great  deal  of  attention  to  his  own 
estates,  and  took  the  active  oversight  of  the  coal  mining 


276  RAMBLES    Itf    SCOOtflE    AtfD    WEMYSS. 

and  salt  manufacturing  industries  of  Methil  and  Wemyss. 
Colonel  Charteris,  the  Countess'  father,  died  in  1730.  In 
1729  he  made  a  disposition  of  his  property  in  favour  of 
his  daughter's  second  son,  Francis  Wemyss,  who  was  to 
assume  the  surname  of  Charteris.  Provision  was  also 
made  for  the  other  children,  but  the  stipulations  were 
such  that  the  Earl  could  not  assent  to  them,  and  he  and 
his  wife  separated.  David  Lord  Elcho,  the  Earl's  eldest 
son,  took  an  active  part  in  the  rebellion  of  1745.  He 
escaped  to  the  Continent  after  Culloden,  but  his  pro- 
perty was  confiscated  by  the  Crown.  The  Earl  died 
on  21st  March  1756,  and  his  remains  were  interred  in 
the  Church  of  Wemyss  on  8th  April.  Lord  Elcho, 
who  remained  an  exile  in  France,  was  attainted  by 
Act  of  Parliament  for  the  part  he  had  played  as  a 
colonel  in  the  first  troop  of  Horse  Guards  of  Prince 
Charlie,  and  therefore  could  neither  succeed  to  the  estates 
nor  the  titles. 

In  1750  the  Earl  of  Wemyss  made  a  settlement  by 
which  the  family  estates  were  on  his  death  to  devolve  on 
his  second  son,  Francis  Wemyss  Charteris,  if  Lord  Elcho 
predeceased  the  Earl.  If  Lord  Elcho  survived  the  Earl, 
the  estates  of  Wemyss  were  to  go  to  James,  the  third  son. 
James  could  succeed  to  the  estates  but  not  to  the  titles. 
Through  the  eldest  son  being  attainted  the  titles  fell 
dormant,  and  so  continued  until  the  death  of  Lord  Elcho 
in  Paris  in  1787. 

In  consequence  of  the  settlement  of  Colonel  Charteris, 
the  Hon.  Francis  Wemyss  assumed  the  name  and  arms  of 
Charteris,  and  in  1771  he  obtained  an  Act  of  Parliament 
authorising  him  to  use  and  bear  the  name  of  Charteris. 
On  the  death  of  Lord  Elcho  he  succeeded  to  the  title  of 
Earl  of  Wemyss,  and  since  then  the  titles  and  honours 


THE   PARISH   OP   WEMYSS  277 

have  remained  with  the  Charteris  family  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Forth. 

The  Hon.  James  Wemyss,  who  succeeded  to  the 
Wemyss  estates  on  the  death  of  the  fourth  Earl,  was 
born  on  23rd  February  1726.  He  chose  the  navy  as  a 
profession,  and  attained  the  rank  of  lieutenant  at  a  com- 
paratively early  age ;  but  he  soon  cut  connection  with  the 
navy  and  took  up  a  Parliamentary  career.  At  Dysart, 
on  29th  August  1757,  he  married  his  cousin,  Lady  Eliza- 
beth Sutherland,  the  only  daughter  of  William  sixteenth 
Earl  of  Sutherland.  In  1762  Mr  Wemyss  succeeded 
General  St  Glair  as  Member  of  Parliament  for  the  county 
of  Fife.  In  1768  he  was  defeated  by  Colonel  Scott,  but 
was  returned  for  Sutherlandshire.  On  the  death  of 
•Colonel  Scott  in  1775,  Mr  Wemyss  was  offered  a  walk 
over  in  Fife,  but  he  preferred  to  sit  for  the  county  which 
had  stood  by  him  at  a  time  of  trial.  Mr  Wemyss  kept  a 
watchful  eye  on  his  collieries  and  salt  works,  and  did  much 
for  the  development  of  the  minerals.  He  died  in  Edin- 
burgh in  May  1786,  in  the  sixty -first  year  of  his  age. 

He  was  succeeded  by  General  William  Wemyss,  who 
had  a  distinguished  military  career.  General  Wemyss 
was  returned  to  Parliament  for  the  county  of  Sutherland 
in  1784.  In  1787  he  vacated  his  seat  and  stood  for  his 
native  county.  He  was  opposed  by  Sir  John  Henderson 
of  Fordell,  but  was  elected  by  a  large  majority.  Sir  John 
protested  against  the  election  of  General  Wemyss  on 
account  of  his  holding  the  office  of  Deputy- Adjutant- 
General  of  Scotland,  but  the  protest  was  not  effective. 
The  General  was  re-elected  for  Fife  in  1790,  and  again 
in  1808.  In  1788  he  married  Frances  Erskine,  eldest 
daughter  of  Sir  William  Erskine  of  Torrie,  Bart.  In  1786 
Colonel  Wemyss  was  appointed  Deputy- Adjutant-General 


278  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    WEMYSS. 

of  the  Forces  in  Scotland  with  the  rank  of  major  in  the 
army.  In  1798  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major- 
general.  He  added  much  to  the  amenities  of  the  estate  of 
Wemyss  by  planting  trees.  General  Wemyss  died  on  14th 
February  1822  at  Wemyss  Castle. 

General  William  Wemyss  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest 
son,  Admiral  James  Erskine  Wemyss,  who  was  born  in 
1789.  Mr  Wemyss  joined  the  Tonnant  in  1802,  under 
Sir  Edward  Pellew.  Between  1802  and  1809,  when  he 
sailed  in  the  Culloden,  he  saw  much  hard  service.  On 
12th  April  1812  he  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  com- 
mander, and  assumed  the  command  of  the  Pylades.  Cap- 
tain Wemyss  took  an  active  share  in  the  naval  operations 
against  Genoa,  and  when  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
British,  in  April  1814,  he  received  the  public  thanks  of 
Captain  Josias  Rowley.  In  the  same  year  he  was  ap- 
pointed acting  captain  of  the  Rainbow.  He  retired  in 
December  1814,  continuing  to  hold  his  rank,  which  was 
advanced  in  1850  to  rear-admiral. 

Shortly  after  leaving  the  Rainbow,  Admiral  Wemyss 
resolved  to  take  up  a  political  career,  and  in  1820  he  was 
chosen  as  the  representative  of  the  county  of  Fife.  He 
represented  Fife  until  1830,  when  a  vote  in  favour  of  the 
Reform  Bill  cost  him  his  seat.  Under  the  extended 
franchise  in  1832,  however,  Admiral  Wemyss  was  re- 
turned unopposed.  In  1835  Colonel  Lindsay  of  Balcarres 
tried  to  oust  him,  but  was  beaten  by  two  to  one  for  his 
pains.  The  Hon.  James  Bruce,  who  afterwards  became 
Lord  Elgin,  next  championed  the  Tory  cause ;  but  he 
sustained  even  a  more  crushing  defeat  than  Colonel 
Lindsay.  In  1841  Mr  Wemyss'  seat  was  supposed  to  be 
so  impregnable  that  he  received  no  opposition,  and  he 
retained  the  seat  until  1847,  when  Parliament  was  dis- 


THE    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS.  279 

solved,  and  he  announced  that  he  would  not  again  seek 
re-election. 

It  was  in  1822  that  Admiral  Wemyss  succeeded  to  the 
paternal  inheritance  of  Wemyss.  Fourteen  years  after 
his  succession  to  the  barony  of  Wemyss,  he  inherited  the 
baronies  of  Torrie  and  Lundin  through  his  maternal  uncle, 
Sir  John  Drummond  Erskine  of  Torrie.  The  barony  of 
Lundin  was  afterwards  sold  by  Admiral  Wemyss  Ad- 
miral Wemyss  died  at  Wemyss  Castle  on  3rd  April  1854. 
James  Hay  Erskine  Wemyss,  who  was  born  at  Wemyss 
Castle  on  27th  August  1829,  succeeded  his  father  in  the 
baronial  estates  of  Wemyss  and  Torrie  on  3rd  April  1854. 
On  the  retirement  of  Mr  John  Fergus  of  Strathore  in 
1859,  Mr  Wemyss  came  forward  as  a  candidate  for  the 
county  of  Fife.  He  was  opposed  by  his  cousin,  Lord 
Loughborough,  afterwards  Lord  Rosslyn.  The  contest  is 
spoken  of  to  this  day  as  a  keen  one.  Mr  Wemyss  polled 
1087  votes  and  Lord  Loughborough  850.  Although  a 
Whig,  Mr  Wemyss  held  advanced  views  on  many  ques- 
tions. In  recognition  of  his  ancient  lineage  and  his  public 
services,  Mr  Wemyss  was  in  the  opening  days  of  1864 
appointed  Lord-Lieutenant  of  the  county,  an  office  which 
had  been  held  by  his  late  father.  Unfortunately  he  did 
not  live  long  to  enjoy  the  honours  which  were  showered 
upon  him.  In  November  1863  Mr  Wemyss  caught  a  severe 
cold.  The  cold  settled  on  his  lungs  during  the  winter, 
and  on  29th  March  1864  he  died.  He  was  only  36  years 
of  age.  Mr  Wemyss'  remains  were  brought  from  London, 
and  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  family  aisle  near  the  Parish 
Church  of  East  Wemyss.  Four  years  before  his  death, 
Mr  Wemyss  had  executed  a  trust-settlement  in  favour  of 
his  wife  '(who  was  a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  John  Kennedy 
Erskine  of  Dun),  the  Earl  of  Munster,  Sir  David  Baird  of 


280  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE   AND    WEMYSS. 

Newbyth,  Bart.,  and  Mr  Robert  Cathcart  of  Pitcairly. 
The  chief  burden  of  the  trusteeship  soon  devolved  on  Mrs 
Wemyss,  and  she  managed  the  trust  in  a  manner  which 
brought  nothing  but  compliments  from  all  who  had  the 
pleasure  of  her  acquaintance  in  and  outwith  the  county. 
At  the  opening  of  Methil  dock  in  1887,  Mr  Wemyss,  the 
present  laird,  said  : — 

"  In  1870  a  wet  dock  was  added  to  the  harbour  at  West  Wemyss 
by  my  mother,  Mrs  Wemyss,  who  has  been  a  trustee  during  my 
minority  on  the  Wemyss  estates.  Her  name,  gentlemen,  as  you 
who  are  not  strangers  here  to-day  know,  will  in  our  local  records, 
aye,  and  even  outside  of  them,  be  handed  down  to  posterity  as  a 
woman  who  more  than  did  her  duty  in  that  position  of  life  which 
she  so  judicially  and  ably  adorned." 

Mrs  Wemyss  died  in  February  1895,  and  her  remains 
were  buried  at  Wemyss. 

When  his  father  died,  in  March  1864,  Mr  Randolph 
Erskine  Wemyss,  the  present  laird,  was  in  his  sixth  year. 
On  Mr  Wemyss  attaining  his  majority,  on  llth  July  1879, 
a  conveyance  of  the  lands,  of  Wemyss-shire  was  made  by 
Mrs  Wemyss  and  the  remaining  trustees  in  his  favour, 
and  by  the  authority  of  the  Court  of  Session  he  disentailed 
the  lands  of  Torrie,  Methil,  Buckhaven,  and  Lochhead. 
Mr  Wemyss  is  a  striking  personality  :  a  man  of  impulses, 
who  has  inherited  all  the  enterprise  and  the  restless  energy 
of  his  ancestor  the  great  Earl  David.  When  in  his  'teens 
he  gave  evidence  of  boundless  activity,  and  as  the  years 
pass  the  same  characteristic  is  exhibited  in  even  a  greater 
degree.  Before  he  was  of  full  age  and  legally  entitled  to 
act  for  himself,  he  had  arranged  for  the  carrying  through 
of  the  Thornton-Buckhaven  railway,  a  scheme,  involving 
an  expenditure  of  £25,000.  In  1883  he  purchased  the 
Leven  dock  at  a  cost  of  £12,000,  and  in  1886  had  con- 


THE    PARISH    OP    WEMYSS. 


281 


structed  Methil  dock  and  given  a  much-needed  impulse  to 
the  development  of  the  coalfields  of  the  county  of  Fife. 
On  the  Wemyss  estate  to-day  Mr  Weunyss  is  working  out 


Milliken]  [Kirkcaldy 

R.  G.  E.  Wemyss,  Esq.  of  Wemyss  and  Torrie. 

a  series  of  schemes.  His  plans  of  coal  development  include 
undertakings  which  are  calculated  to  raise  the  annual  coal 
output  of  the  Wemyss  Coal  Company  from  700,000  tons 


282  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE    AND    VVEMYSS. 

to  2,000,000  tons  a  year ;  he  contemplates  a  new  brick- 
work, has  built  the  new  village  of  Denbeath,  and  was  the 
original  promoter  of  the  Kirkcaldy  and  Leven  tramways. 

Representing  as  he  does  a  family  which  has  one  of  the 
longest  and  purest  of  Scottish  pedigrees,  and  which  for 
centuries  rendered  distinguished  services  to  the  State,  no 
surprise  need  be  expressed  at  the  fact  that  Mr  Wemyss 
has  had  ambitions  to  enter  Parliament.  He  contested 
West  Fife  in  1889  and  1895,  and  his  defeat  on  both  occa- 
sions was  entirely  due  to  the  fact  that  he  split  with  the 
Gladstonian  party  on  the  Irish  Home  Rule  problem.  Mr 
Wemyss  was  returned  to  the  Council  Board  of  the  burgh 
of  Buckhaven,  Methil,  and  Innerleveu  in  November  1904, 
and  on  taking  his  seat  as  a  councillor  was  elected  provost. 
He  is  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  the  county,  and  is  the 
representative  of  the  burgh  of  Buckhaven,  Methil,  and 
Innerleven  at  the  Fife  County  Council. 


THE  WEMYSS  AND  DISTRICT  TRAMWAYS. 

IN  the  winter  of  1904,  Mr  R.  G.  E.  Wemyss  of  Werayss 
Castle  launched  a  scheme  for  connecting  the  towns  and 
villages  in  the  parishes  of  Wemyss  and  Scoonie  with  the 
burgh  of  Kirkcaldy  by  a  system  of  electric  tramways. 
Whon  the  scheme  was  first  mooted,  it  was  intended  that 
the  line  should  terminate  at  the  bridge  across  the  river 
Leven,  at  the  western  entrance  to  the  burgh  of  Leven. 
By  appeals  from  the  community  of  Leven,  however.  Mr 
Wemyss  was  induced  to  extend  the  line  to  the  burgh  and 
make  the  terminus  in  Durie  Street.  A  Provisional  Order 
for  the  construction  of  the  tramways  was  given  in  March 
1905  by  a  Parliamentary  Committee,  sitting  in  Edinburgh, 
and  in  August  of  the  same  year  the  Wemyss  Tramway 
Order  Confirmation  Act  was  passed  by  Parliament. 

When  Mr  Wemyss  was  promoting  the  tramway  scheme 
through  its  initial  stages,  the  Board  of  Trade  laid  down  as 
a  condition  of  their  giving  sanction  to  proceed  that  a  com- 
pany should  be  formed  on  an  early  date.  In  terms  of 
this  condition,  a  company  was  formed  in  November,  taking 
the  name  of  "  The  Wemyss  and  District  Tramways  Com- 
pany, Limited."  The  authorised  capital  of  the  Company 
is  £55,000-9000  6  per  cent,  cumulative  shares  of  £5  each, 
and  10,000  ordinary  shares  of  £1  each.  The  Company 
also  issued  £30,000  of  4|  per  cent,  debentures.  The  first 
board  of  directors  was  :— Messrs  John  Oswald  of  Dunni- 
kier ;  Joseph  Budge,  Wemyss  Castle  Office ;  Archibald 


284  RAMBLES    IN    SCOONIE   AND    WEMYSS. 

Bowman,  Buckhaven ;  William  Shepherd,  solicitor  and 
bank  agent,  Leven ;  and  Stephen  Sellon,  M.Inst.C.E. 
(managing  director).  Mr  J.  Ogilvy  Shepherd,  Leven,  was 
appointed  secretary.  It  was  intimated  that  Mr  Wemyss 
would  join  the  board  after  the  line  was  handed  over  to 
the  Company.  Mr  Sellon,  the  managing  director,  has  had 
great  experience  of  tramway  work  throughout  the  country, 
and  a  report  by  him  on  the  Wemyss  project  showed  a  net 
revenue  of  £5925  per  annum  after  meeting  all  working 
expenses  and  a  liberal  allowance  for  depreciation.  His 
details  were  as  follows  :^- 

From  the  net  revenue  of £5925 

There  falls  to  be  deducted  interest  on  £30,000  4J 
per  cent,  debenture  stock       -        -        £1350 
Dividend  on  £30,000  preference  shares 

at  6  per  cent.  ....  1800 

3150 


Leaving  a  surplus  of £2775 

The  Order  and  Act  authorised  the  construction  of  a 
line  of  tramways  and  tramroads,  to  be  worked  on  the 
overhead  electric  trolley  system,  commencing  at  the  eastern 
terminus  of  the  Kirkcaldy  Corporation  Tramways  at  Ross- 
lyn  Street,  Kirkcaldy,  and  connected  by  a  physical  junction 
with  the  electric  tramways  of  Kirkcaldy  Corporation,  and 
running  thence  eastwards  through  the  parish  of  Kirkcaldy 
and  Dysart  and  the  parishes  of  Wemyss  and  Scoonie,  and 
serving  the  villages  and  towns  of  West  Wemyss,  Coaltown 
of  Wemyss,  East  Wemyss,  Buckhaven,  Links  of  Buck- 
haven,  Denbeath,  Methil,  Crossroads,  Innerleven,  and 
Leven,  with  an  optional  extension  to  the  burgh  of  Dysart, 
The  track  length  of  the  tramways  and  tramroads,  exclud- 
ing Dysart,  is  about  7|  miles,  and  including  the  extension 
to  Dysart  it  will  measure  about  8j  miles.  Direct  running 


286  THF.    PARISH    OF    WEMYSS. 

powers  over  the  system  of  the  Kirkcaldy  Corporation  tram- 
ways to  the  centre  of  the  town  were  acquired,  conform  to 
agreement  between  the  Provost,  Magistrates,  and  Coun- 
cillors of  the  burgh  of  Kirkcaldy  and  Mr  Wemyss. 

By  an  agreement  entered  into  between  the  Wemyss 
Coal  Company  and  the  Tramway  Company,  the  Coal 
Company  erected  and  are  to  maintain  an  electric  power 
station  on  a  piece  of  ground  situated  near  the  village  of 
Denbeath  and  to  supply  the  Company  with  electric  power. 


FINIS. 


PRINTED    AND    PUBLISHED 

BY 

PURVES  &  CUNNINGHAM, 
LEVEN. 


ECONOMY  POINTS  TO 


THE  LEVEN  EMPORIUM 


When  Millinery,  General  Drapery, 
or  Clothing  is  Wanted. 

Always    Sterling    Value. 

Keen    Prices. 
Cash     Only. 


HIGH  SliKEI(OpposiU  Caledonian  Hotel),  LEVEN 
ARCHD.  ALLAN  &  Co. 

LEATHER  GOODS.  PHOTO  FRAMES. 

BIBLES  AND  HYMNARIES. 


Notepapers  Embossed  with  Address, 

Plain  or  in  Colour. 
The  Most  Favourable  Terms   Existing. 

Samples   of  Ordinary  and    High-Class   Notepapers  on  Request. 

JVlaleolm's  Stationery  Salon 

AND   EXPEDITIOUS  NEWSAGENCY, 
80      HIGH      STREET,     UEVEIX. 


J.  &  a.  BROWN'S 

W  E  M YSS 

ALES    * 


-AND — 


STOUTS 

—ARE — 

GUARANTEED  PURE. 


Sold    in    Bottle    by   nil    the 
Local    Merchants. 


SPECIALLY  RECOMMENDED— 

INVALID    STOUT 


GflliEDOfllAJi  HOTEL, 

1-  E  V  E  N  . 

MARRIAGE    PARTIES,    DINNERS, 

SUPPERS,  AND  DANCE  PARTIES. 

ALL    TERMS    MODERATE. 


Large  Room==Dance  50  to  60, 

Retiring  Rooms  and  all  Conveniences. 


Posting  in  all  its  Branches. 


A.  HUTCHISON,  PROPRIETOR. 


J.  W.  THOMSON'S, 


YOU  WILL  GET 


FIRST-CLASS 

MILLINERY, 
.  DRAPERY, 


.   .  .  AND  . 


CLOTHING. 


FLOORCLOTHS     AND     LINOLEUMS. 

A  SPECIALITY. 


Largest  Selection  in  every  Department. 


RANDOLPH    D!|APEI^Y   HOUSE, 


BUCKHAVEN 


0- 


A.    HOGG 

Member  *  of  *  the  $  pharmaceutical  &  Society, 

DISPENSING    CHEAI5T, 

MICM    STREET,   LEVEN. 


Headquarters  for  Photographic  Materials. 


Branches— Bock  place,  jYlethil ;  and  lunDin  links. 

LEVEN  TELEPHONE — i  v  4.  METHIL — 2  x  i. 


c 


.  S.  Thompson's   . 

Cicensei  *  Restaurant, 


Breakfasts 

luncheons 

Dinners 

leas 


Breakfasts 

luncheons 

Dinners 

leas 


Xigh  *  5*reet»  *  Ccvcn 

(Jfear  the  Royal  Bank). 


For    Ladies'    and    Gentlemen's 
Latest    Designs    in 

Kigh  Grade  footwear. 


THE  MATERIALS    HAVE   BEEN    SPECIALLY    SELECTED 
FOR    ELEGANCE    AND    WEAR. 


Art  and  Science  have  been  com- 
bined in  the  production  of  our 
Models,  and  we  offer  our  Goods 
confident  that  they  will  recommend 
themselves. 

Agent  in  Leven  and  District  for 
the  well-known  Brands  of  Boots  and 
Shoes — "CINPERELLA,"  "SCOTCH 

W,"  "  HAZELWOOD,"  and  "  O.K." 
Send  your  Repairs. 

It  gives  us  pleasure  to  serve  our 
Patrons  well.  May  we  also  have 
this  pleasure  with  you  ? 


JOHN    GRAHAM 

5O    HIGH    STREET,    LEVEN. 

All  the  Best  Makes  of  Shoe  Polishes  and  Creams  in  Stock. 


Picture  ?ost  Cards 

Goods. 


AND 


LOCAL    AND    GENERAL 

PICTURE    POST    CARDS 

AND 

£  eat Ijer  arjd  of  tier  Qoods 

(SUITABLE    FOR    PRESENTS), 

AT   THE 

STflTIONERY  WAREHOUSE 

Randolph  St.,  Buckhaven. 


Branch  Office    of  the  "  Leven  Advertiser 
and    XVemyss    Gazette," 


Soli  jficial 
yirtifieial  - 
Jeeth  -  - 


(VULCANITE,   PLATINUM, 
OR  GOLD), 

Can  be  Fitted  without  the  Extraction  of  Roots, 


Perfect  Fit  and  First-Class  Workmanship  Guaranteed. 
Prices    from    1    to    2O    Guineas. 

Painless  Extractions  with  Alvatunder,  Chloroform, 
or  Ethyl  Chloride,  the  Latest  and  most  Perfect 
Anaesthetic  for  Dental  Operations. 

Teeih  Filled  uiifi  Cement,  flmalgam,  Porcelain,  or  Gold. 


DUNCAN    &    Co., 

DENTISTS, 
S     UIINKS     ROAD,     LrEVEIN. 


Consultations   Daily,  from  g  a.m.  till  8  p.m. 

BuCKHAVEN  on  Mondays  and  Saturdays,  from  9  a.m.  till  8  p.m. 
Thursdays,  from  9  a.m.  to  i  p.m. 


Telephone— 1  Y  S.  Established— 1855. 

DAVID.  K.  ROBERTSON 

THE  LEADING 

Restaurant  and  Tea  Rooms, 
20  HIGH  STREET, 


LARGE    DINING    SALOON. 
LADIES'   ROOM,  &c. 

SOUPS,   HOT   LUNCHEONS,  and   DINNERS. 
TEAS    A    SPECIALTY. 

Excellent  Menu.  Popular  Prices. 

Assorted  Boxes  of  Scones  and  Cakes, 

By  Post,    is  4d. 


JAJBES  PEflTTIE, 

BREAD  AND  BISCUIT  BAKER 
AND  (WECTMER, 

HIGH     STREET, 


ROLLS  DELIVERED  EVERY  MORNING. 


Famous  for  Self-Raising  Flour. 

HIS    "BALLOON"     BRAND    IS    SECOND    TO    NONE. 


THE  F,  G,  TAIT  CLEEK, 

Indispensable  to  Amateur  and  Professional  alike. 

SOLE    MAKER 

GEO.    NICOLL, 

GOLF  IRON  MANUFACTURER, 

LEVEN,   FIFE. 


Ordinary  Hand-Forged  Golfing  Irons  made  absolutely 
Rustproof  by  Sherardising.  Club  Heads  sent  to  G.  N.  can  be 
Re-polished  and  treated  by  this  excellent  process,  which  is 
growing  in  favour  with  Golfers  daily. 


G.  N.  is  Agent  for  some  of  the  Best  Cycle  Makers. 

CYCLE    REPAIRS    PROMPTLY    EXECUTED. 
All    Kinds    of   Accessories    always    on   hand. 


EVERV  THURSDAY  MORNING 


Cbe  Heven  Advertiser 


and 


Wkmyss  Gazette* 

Jdakes  a  Specialty  of    - 
Local  and  District  flems. 

PUBLISHES  A  LIST  OF  VISITORS 

To  Largo,  Lundin  Links,  and  Leven, 
during  Months   of  June,  July,  and   August. 

historical  and  other  Special  Jtotes. 


Use 


H  IGH-CL  ASS 


FILTERED   BY   THE 

Celebrated     «-Berkefeld  "    Process. 

ALL    GERMS    WITHHELD. 

SYPHONS  SPECIALLY  PREPARED  FOR  RHEUMATISM,  &c. 
ORDER  THROUGH  MERCHANTS. 

GLEB  E  FIELD,      LEVEN 

A  Trial  Respectfully   Requested. 


They  come  as  a  boon  and  a  blessing  to  men  — 
The  Pickwick,  the  Owl,  and  the  Waverley  Pen. 


AVASLE*  -F-E1M 

f-flVEN&CAMERON 
EDINBURCN 


LANTERN  PEN 

MACN1VENJ.CAMERONU 


"SUAVITER"J 

MACNIVEN  SCAMERONOi1 


MACNI VE  N  fc  CAMERON  LT° 

ESTATE  PEN^ 

EDINBURGH'. 


Sold    by 
all  Stationers. 


/VVACNIVEN   &  CA/HEKON,   Ltd,, 

WAVERLEY  WORKS    EDINBURGH, 


LONDON  & 
LANCASHIRE 

FIRE 

INSURANCE  COMPANY 


Edinburgh  Office     34  St  Andrew  Square,  Edinburgh. 


Income     1QO-4 


Premiums  (Fire)  - 

,,          (Accident), 
Interest  on  Investments 


£1,319,869 
95,663 
55,069 

£1.470,601 


forty    Years'    Progress. 

PREMIUMS.  RESERVE  FUNDS.  PER  CENT. 

1864,    -       ^       £100,843           £20,000  19 

1884,    -       -           491,315            287,304  58 

1904,  -      -      1,415,532       1,847,114  130 


Total    Security, 


FIRE.  ACCIDENT.  BURGLARY. 

W.C.A.  FIDELITY    GUARANTEE. 


FOUNDED    1805 


The  Oldest  Scottish  Insurance  Company. 


INSURANCE    COMPANY. 

Head  Office==19  George  Street,  Edinburgh. 


FIRE.  LIFE. 

Funds — .£2,895,260.     Claims  Paid — ^8,000,000. 


LITE    ASSURANCES 

Granted  with  or  without  Medical  Examination, 
on  Exceptionally  Favourable  Terms. 

Perfect  Non-Forfeitable  System. 
Liberal  Surrender  Values. 
Policies  World-Wide  in  most  cases. 

PIKE     DEPARTMENT, 

Ample  Security.  Moderate  Premiums. 

Surveys  made  Free  of  Charge. 
xDamage  by  Lightning  Covered. 
•  Losses  -Promptly  Settled.  • 


=     Delicious    = 
Non=Alcoholic    Beverage, 

ALLIES  BLEND 


Manufactured  only  at 


DURIE    CRATED    WATER   WORKS, 


LEVEN,    FIFE. 


PLEASE  DO  NOT  REMOVE 
CARDS  OR  SLIPS  FROM  THIS  POCKET 


UNIVER!